This is the most recent picture I could find of my family. From left to right, top to bottom: My husband (Jacob McHargue), me, my mother (Mindi), my father (Jeff), my brother-in-law (Anthony Walker), my sister (Shelby Walker) holding her newborn son (Paysen Walker), and my sister (Jacey Nielsen). Not included in the picture is my younger brother Stetson who had to skip out early for a basketball game. This is my family, they are who I love and turn to for everything.
In the article by Wilcox, he talks about the trend of traditional marriages and how they have declined over the years. Traditional marriages meaning those between a husband and wife who stay married, bear children, and raise them together. He shares that due to the drastic decline in this type of marriage, children are being affected academically, financially, behaviorally, and with their own personal marital possibilities.
This is a photograph of my husband and I on our wedding day, August 15th, 2014. (photo credit: Jenny Losee Photography) Reading Wilcox's article made me so very grateful for the covenants we made in the temple that day and the affect they will have on our family and children. In his article Wilcox focuses heavily on the influence of a father. He has observed over the years that children born outside of marriage (or split by divorce) typically end up living with their mother, while the father's involvement begins to decline. This article not only made me grateful for my current situation but also made me interested in the statistics behind the traditional family created by a father and mother joined in marriage. I have always known that a family consists of a mom, dad, and children and I've learned through the gospel the importance of that but I wanted to list some facts, statements, and definitions that support Wilcox and I's opinion.
1. By having male and female parents there are two perspectives given to children to help them grow. Research shows that just as mothers have special characteristics (such as nurturing) that are essential to raising children, so do fathers (such as discipline). These roles were also pointed out by the church when they stated, "By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide for the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children." (www.lds.org)
2. We are also reminded in "The Family- A Proclamation to the World" that marriage between a man and a women is the way God created families and it is essential for His plan of Salvation. (www.lds.org)
3. With two parents, father and mother, there is potential for an increase in income or opportunities to save (such as babysitting costs). This allows for more income to be used to provide opportunities for children and to provide optimum care. "Children in single-parent families comprise 27% of all American children, yet they account for 62% of all poor children." (statistic found in "The Positive Effects of Marriage: A Book of Charts") We also read in Wilcox's article that "almost one-third of the growth in family income inequality since the 1970s can be connected to this decline in marriage."
4. Benefits of children living with an intact, married family include an increase in those who attend college and also better physical and emotional health. They are also less likely to use drugs and alcohol, have delinquent behaviors, and become pregnant/impregnate a teenager. (www.americanvalues.org and also some graphs with these statistics are found with Wilcox's article)
Why wouldn't you want to raise a family with an equal partner who not only brought life into this world with you but is willing to raise them together? I understand some circumstances such as death, illness, military service, or other situations may not allow for an involved father in the home but if its a choice we must stand up for creating the best home environment for our children. My purpose in sharing my opinion and research on this topic covers a variety of reasons. First off it allows me to share my appreciation for the family I was raised in and the family my husband and I are striving to make. I also find it interesting and necessary to share the statistics behind the traditional marriage on the family and how we are responsible for providing our children with an equal opportunity in this life. Lastly I urge all who read this to be responsible in creating and caring for the life we bring into this world. So often we see teenage pregnancy, homeless children, or struggling single parent homes who would benefit from having known this research and taken their responsibilities seriously. Thanks for reading and I hope you consider the research when caring or creating your own family. Listed below are references for the articles and research I have shared in this post, please educate yourself and form your own opinion on the issue.
References:
Wilcox, Bradford. (2015). Opinion: Decline of marriage is a
primary reason for inequality. Deseret News. Retrieved from www.deseretnews.com
Wilcox, Bradford. Why
marriage matters: 26 conclusions from the social sciences. Institute for
American Values. Retrieved from www.americanvalues.org/html/r-wmm.html
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (1995). The
family: A proclamation to the world. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation/ase?lang=eng
Fagan, Patrick. (2002). The positive effects of marriage: A book of charts. Retrieved from www.heritage.org/Research/Features/Marriage/index.cfm
