Custodial Parent in Today’s Society

Custodial Parent in Today’s Society

Children are our future; an undisputed statement. Yet, the development of those children is now facing new and ever changing circumstances. A family unit was described as consisting of a mother and a father, traditionally performed by a female and male, and their children. In addition, that family unit resulted from a conventional bond of marriage, either consecrated by a religious or civil ceremony. Finally, in the event of a divorce, the mother, almost without question, was awarded custody. This was considered the gender norm. However, gone are the days of such tradition, warranting the most serious decision raised by both parents and our legal system today; who will be awarded custodial parent of the children and, ultimately, the future.

First, the family unit and how it has evolved. As has been stated, traditional parents began with a female, as the mother, and a male, as the father figures. However, not all families adopt these traditional sex roles for parents. As a result, today we have gay and lesbian, or same sex parents, as well as the cohabiting parents (Wood, 2009).

Having parents, different from what is considered normal, should not make a difference; except, when you are deciding which parent to award custody in the event of a family split. Children rely on their parents to be the key influence in their identities, which is shaped in the early years of life. The cognitive development theory states that it is around age three that gender constancy is usually secured; in essence, children realize that their sex is an unchanging, continuous part of their identity. For girls, this will occur through daily interactions with the mother. Yet, boys need to lessen their identification with the mother and focus on identifying with a male, their dad. Thank goodness, we have reevaluated those ideas and, although, “The

first few years are important in shaping ones gender; they are not the absolute...