Same-sex parents spend more time with their kids doing meaningful activities compared with straight parents, study claims

  • The study was carried out by researchers from the University of Texas
  • It debunks many negative connotations about same-sex families
  • It found that children with two moms are getting 40 percent more time
  • Same-sex couples also do more child-focused activities vital for children

By Belinda Robinson For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

A new reports suggests that same-sex parents are spending more time with their children compared with straight couples.

The study, which was carried out by the University of Texas at Austin Population Research Center, found that children with two moms or two dads are getting 40 percent more of their time.

It comes after the Supreme Court's decision to legalize gay marriage renewed debate about what kind of home same sex couples provide for their kids.

But this report debunked the negative connotations that surfaced, suggesting that gay parents read to their children much more and do other key activities regularly.

The study, which was carried out by the University of Texas at Austin Population Research Center, found that children with two moms or two dads are getting 40 percent more of their time

The study, which was carried out by the University of Texas at Austin Population Research Center, found that children with two moms or two dads are getting 40 percent more of their time

Kate Prickett, the lead study author, told Yahoo Parenting: 'This finding challenges biases against same-sex parents and demonstrates high levels of investment in children by same-sex couples.

'Leading up to the Supreme Court decision on marriage equality, some of the public dialogue had focused on whether same-sex parents create a different parenting environment for children compared to children who live with a mother and father.

'Our study sought to directly test this by looking at the parenting behaviors of a nationally representative, randomly selected sample of parents - something no other studies had examined.'

According to the study, women in same-sex couples tend to spend more time doing child-focused activities vital for child development.

These activities supported their children's physical and cognitive development -  such as 'reading to them, playing with them, helping with homework, bathing them, and taking them to the doctor'.

Prickett noted that same-sex couples attended teacher-parent meetings and took their children to extracurricular activities - much like straight parents.

But these activities did not include 'watching television with children or doing housework while a child was around'.

The author suggested that same-sex couples may devote the extra time to their kids because they may have put more thought into their pairings.

Those surveyed included 55 parents in same-sex relationships - 38 of them being lesbian moms - and 17 gay dads. The male perspective was left out of the study because the sample size was too small

Those surveyed included 55 parents in same-sex relationships - 38 of them being lesbian moms - and 17 gay dads. The male perspective was left out of the study because the sample size was too small

She said 'same-sex families come about more intentionally because people are partnering with someone who already has children'.

And becoming parents may come after 'insemination or surrogacy or adoption, which are often long and arduous processes'.

However, Prickett believes that gender roles still define who looks after the children - which impacts how much time parents spend with their kids.

 [Our] findings challenge biases against same-sex parents and demonstrates high levels of investment in children by same-sex couples.
 Kate Prickett, lead study author

Prickett said: 'Despite men spending more time with their children than ever, parenting is still a gendered process. 

'That is, fathers, on average, work more hours and women take on a greater share of home responsibilities.'

The poll was carried out using data from the American Time Use Surveys, a nationally representative time-diary survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. 

It looked at data from the past 11 years from 2003 to 2013 - using a sample of more than 40,000 parents. 

Those surveyed included 55 parents in same-sex relationships - 38 of them being lesbian moms - and 17 gay dads.

Yet, while the results tended to be similar - for lesbians and gay men - the male perspective on some matters was left out of the study because the sample size was too small. 

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