Last week, the results of a major, 35 year study by Cambridge University have revealed children who flourish best as adults are those who have had 'families that provide love, security and support', regardless of the family structure.  In other words, whether the family is the conventional mum and dad, or a single parent, or a same sex couple etc., is immaterial when it comes to people's happiness and success.


Of course, the findings have attracted criticism from those who still, erroneously, believe that the traditional family is the gold standard.  My own experience confirms the Cambridge results.  I have known many different types of families, and, fortunately, most were loving and supportive, and the children happy.  Besides, let us not forget that Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Tse Tung and most monsters of history came from traditional families.


What matters, in terms of the adults' communication in a family, is their relationships with each other.  Children thrive when they know they are loved, but even more so when they are witness to and surrounded by loving relationships. Role models and their impact matter vitally, often subliminally.