Factors of LGBTQ Parenting Success

Running head: COACHMAN 1

COACHMAN

2

Effects of LGBTQ offspring on parents

by Ivory D Coachman

ILR260

Instructed by: James C. Lhotak, Jr., Ph.D.

[email protected]

National University

14, October 2018

Gonzalez, K. A. (2013). The positive aspects of being the parent of an LGBTQ child. Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, 325-337.

This research study focuses on the positive gains and insights of having LGBTQ children. It talks about the positive aspects of having children with and says that it makes people confident, critical, loving, caring, and very much different from all the other parents having normal and straight children. These parents learn to look at the world differently because they know the worth of everything. For them, heath, happiness, and inner satisfaction are the things which are the real wealth of this world. These parents get opportunities to learn different things and grow differently in the society from their children. They learn to become cognitively flexible, creative, emotionally sensitive, and attentive to personal values after they interact with children having LGBTQ. The paper suggests that these parents get involved in various challenging experiences because of their children and it changes their views about social issues to a very great extent. It increases their personal as well interpersonal values and they grow a lot more quickly than others. They acquire new behaviors and make new commitments because their children’s social identities change and they have to deal with the world with confidence and positivity. If the except the realities regarding the identities of their children, they become open minded, adapt new perspectives, get positive emotions, become aware about different issues, and become loving and caring. Family bonds also become very much stronger because these parents become highly close to their children so that their children do not think or feel that they are alone or alien to the social settings.

This article is very informative and it talks about some healthy and positive vibes that are associated with the parents of LGBTQ children. It is written in a very simple form and research has also shown in the simplest way possible. It talks about all kinds of positive impacts and benefits that the parents of such children receive. It can enrich people with a lot of positive knowledge and awareness of the issue.

Heather Craig-Oldsen, J. A. (2006). Issues of Shared Parenting of LGBTQ Children and Youth in Foster Care: Preparing Foster Parents for New Roles. CHILD WELFARE .

This study talks about how foster parents of this era need to cope with challenges which arise due to LGBTQ identities of youngsters which they have to take care of. It suggests that different kinds of trainings are necessary for foster parents to take in order to know details of these identities and what issues can come up with them. Safety, wellbeing, and permanence of children in foster care is the responsibility of foster parents and for that they need to acquire different skills which are necessary. The author stresses that foster parents need to learn to become positive and broad minded, trusting, caring, critical to social behaviors, accepting, and friendly. Foster parents can experience great challenges when it comes to having children in their care who are LGBTQ. Lives of children in foster care are usually very much secretive, personal and hidden from foster parents. The study stresses that such children hardly share their personal issues (especially related to sexual aspect) with foster parents and foster parents need to analyze their behaviors and symptoms in order to help them to get out of depressions and face everything with pride. They can learn to acquire these skills by gaining in service trainings. Moreover, the study clams that the LGBTQ children at foster care can become vulnerable to sexual and emotional abuse, physical assaults, bullying etc. as well. Foster parent have to deal with these issues very much critically. They must think about future safety and have to be interactive with them so that they can share their issues.

This article has got a lot of knowledge about the support that shared parenting can provide to LGBTQ children. However, it fails to acknowledge the role of real parents in the whole process. It is very informative and has been written in a professional writing style. The research study shares different perspectives of different researchers on the issue and concludes that in service trainings of foster parents are very important for the healthy growth of LGBTQ at foster homes.

Roe, S. (2016). “Family Support Would Have Been Like Amazing” LGBTQ Youth Experiences With Parental and Family Support. The Family Journal.

In this qualitative study, the behaviors of family members and parents towards LGBTQ adolescents have been analyzed and inquired. The results indicate that initial responses of most of the parents are not very much positive and supportive while the LGBTQ youngsters crave for serous support and attention of their parents so they can face the society easily. The author says that when they finally become successful in getting support of their parents, they become able to acquire positive behaviors and can save themselves from suicidal thoughts, depression, and drug usage. These habits become a part of youngsters when they feel that they are socially incompetent but if parents are with them in such times, they grow up better. The research stresses the positive relationship among LGBTQ and their parents for better outcomes. It also indicates that health factors are also important and when this relationship is strong, youngsters stay away from many health issues. It has been also indicated from the research that many parents fail to support their children because their faith in religion does not allow them. This is also one of the factors which acts as a hindrance against the bonding of LGBTQ with their parents.

The study has conducted semi structured interviews and has made themes out of the results. It has covered the whole issue from all the sides and 4 themes talk about all the important factors separately. This study is a very good source to know about initial as well as advanced issues that may arise in this process. Moreover, factors and their reasons have been explained on the basis of interviews and observations.

Mehus, C. (2017). Living as an LGBTQ Adolescent and a Parent’s Child: Overlapping or Separate Experiences. Journal of Family Nursing.

This research paper talks about importance of support of parents, teachers, classmates and friends for LGBTQ youngsters and claims that higher level of support from parents is related to lower depression and higher self-esteem in LGBTQ. The experiences of youngsters (who are LGBTQ) have been analyzed in this study while major importance is given to their roles in the community and their interactions with their parents. The author says that parent support and their reaction towards the identities of their children is very important for the behaviors, habits, acts of their LGBTQ children. Moreover, the study also suggests that the experiences and health of LGBTQ individuals also depend upon the members of their surrounding community as well apart from parents. It says that positive reactions and behaviors of community members are important for LGBTQ children’s healthy growth and positive thoughts.

The study is a helpful tool to understand this issue in great depth wince it has used open ended and go along interviews which provides a great amount of knowledge about the awareness of this issue. The interviews are a great source to get first hand information for LGBTQ member, parents, or inquiring minds.

References Gonzalez, K. A. (2013). The positive aspects of being the parent of an LGBTQ child. Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, 325-337. Heather Craig-Oldsen, J. A. (2006). Issues of Shared Parenting of LGBTQ Children and Youth in Foster Care: Preparing Foster Parents for New Roles. CHILD WELFARE . Mehus, C. (2017). Living as an LGBTQ Adolescent and a Parent’s Child: Overlapping or Separate Experiences . Journal of Family Nursing. Roe, S. (2016). “Family Support Would Have Been Like Amazing” LGBTQ Youth Experiences With Parental and Family Support . The Family Journal.