A Population‐Based Comparison of Female and Male Same‐Sex Parent and Different‐Sex Parent Households

This investigation compared Dutch same‐sex parent and different‐sex parent households on children's psychological well‐being, parenting stress, and support in child rearing. It was also assessed whether associations among children's well‐being, parenting stress, and support in child rearing were different in the two household types. Data were based on a nationally representative survey (N = 25,250). Matching was used to enhance similarity in background characteristics between both types of families. Parental and child characteristics were matched for 43 female same‐sex parent, 52 male same‐sex parent, and 95 different‐sex parent households with offspring between 5 and 18 years old. No significant differences were found on children's well‐being, problems in the parent–child relationship, being worried about the child, or the use of formal and informal support between mothers in same‐sex and different‐sex parent households or for fathers in same‐sex and different‐sex parent households. Regarding perceived confidence in child rearing, fathers in same‐sex parent households and mothers in different‐sex parent households felt less competent than their counterparts. Neither the associations between children's well‐being and the predictors (parenting stress variables) nor those between support and the predictors (parenting stress and children's well‐being) differed along household type. In this population‐based study, the similarity in child outcomes regardless of household type confirms the results of prior investigations based on convenience samples. These findings are pertinent to family therapists, practitioners, court officials, and policymakers who seek information on parenting experiences and child outcomes in female and male same‐sex parent families. En esta investigación se comparó el efecto de los hogares holandeses formados por parejas del mismo sexo y el de los formados por parejas de diferente sexo en el bienestar psicológico de los niños, el estrés por la crianza y el apoyo en la crianza de los niños. También se evaluó si las asociaciones entre el bienestar de los niños, el estrés por la crianza, y el apoyo en la crianza de los niños fueron diferentes en los dos tipos de hogares. Los datos se basaron en una encuesta representativa a nivel nacional (N = 25,250). Se usó el emparejamiento para destacar la similitud entre las características de los antecedentes de ambos tipos de familias. Se emparejaron las características de los padres y los niños en 43