Glenn Discusses Misleading Media Reports on Dads & Stepdads on Canadian Radio (Audio Available)
August 12th, 2008 by Glenn Sacks, MA for Fathers & Families
"Stepdads beat biological fathers in parenting, study says."
"Stepdads do better than real dads in 'fragile' families."
"Stepfathers make better parents."
This is how dozens of major newspapers and media outlets are reporting a new study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family which compares stepfathers to biological fathers.
Many of you have written to me about this study--to learn more, see Stepdads are better parents, study finds (Detroit Free Press, 8/10/08). Contrary to what the media is saying, the study does not actually say that stepfathers are better or that they parent better than biological fathers.
I discussed the study on Adler on Line, a nationally-syndicated radio show available on radio stations throughout Canada. To listen to the broadcast, click on the network's audio page here and set it to August 12 at 3 PM. The interview begins after the top of the hour news at about 7:00 and continues for about a half hour.
To comment to Charles Adler about the broadcast, click on adleronline@gmail.com.
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August 12th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
I listen to Adler on line regularly (although it's not always easy to get to a radio, and sometimes I actually have a life). You will likely find him to be inquisitive, engaging, but somewhat "old fashioned" in his beliefs. He's quite open minded though. There's a MUCH better than average shot that you will enjoy your time on the show...
August 12th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Can someone please tell me how getting a bunch of women to compare their ex who they broke up with and their current man constitutes a significant study? Every time we see a "study" it's always get a bunch of women's perpective and call it fact.
INTERVIEWER: "say wives, who does more house work you or your husband?"
WIVES: "Oh, I do waaay more!"
INTERVIEWER: "That's all I needed to hear!"
and the headlines the next day...
"WIVES DO WAY MORE HOUSEWORK"
August 12th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
So if father "cooperates" with mother - he is a better father? Well sure, after all the half wit who does not agree with the real parent (mother) must be a bad parent.
By the way, if this is true, then unrelated men should be more liable to pay child support than biological fathers. But then the welfare system is already doing this. Thank you so much - oh wise - socialist workers. Come to think of it - every other person was closer to me than my bio-dad. I wonder why we still keep biodads around.
August 13th, 2008 at 12:08 am
"Stepfathers make better parents." ...okay? better than biological fathers....
This is the same as saying:
"White men make better fathers than black men."
August 13th, 2008 at 1:14 am
very simpe and elegant..have two drop boxes, on home page, for selecting date and time of broadcast. Total mouse-clicks to listen to broadcast: 3 (total mouse-clicks required for MSNBC, CNN, etc: 300).
Why can't US web developers think up ideas like that? (don't tell your web guy I said that, Glenn).
August 13th, 2008 at 2:22 am
its a bit difficult being a dad when you have been excluded, or working withing time constraints that you can niether sustain or develop bonds with your own children. This so called "study" is no more then propaganda to reinforce mother as owner of the child who dictates who the father is to be, unless the farther has devoloped and sustained bonds with his children.
barry gaynor
August 13th, 2008 at 4:15 am
"Hmm... does the new hubby always agree with your style of parenting and support your enabling your children to grow up MI and DD and a criminal?"
Well, yes, you see he feels like he really can't make those big decisions for the children because they really aren't his. So, he defers to me every time, this makes him a wonderful step daddy!
There you have it folks, step dads are better parents as you can't tell them apart from mom.
August 13th, 2008 at 8:12 am
I would think that any 'parent' with daily contact with the children would be the 'better' parent.
Also:
Totally agree.
August 13th, 2008 at 9:42 am
classic manipulation of a study to reach a predetermined conclusion. This study is worthless because it asks ONLY the mothers. Braver in his book talks about this type of study in regards to child support as in they ONLY ask custodial mothers if it's paid on time. When he did the research he found shock of shocks that maybe the mother's viewpoint was incoorect (ok they flat out lied but I was trying to be nice)
The real question to be asked is how does the media who claim to be unbiased and knowledgable NOT see that the study in and of itself is WORTHLESS. How can it be considered even slightly releveant when you are basically asking mothers - is the man you are with now a better father then the man you used to be with - i'm just surprised the conclusion wasn't reached that overwhelmingly mothers report stepfathers are better
funny too how this flies in the face of the facts that stepfathers are far more likely to be child abusers then bio fathers .....
oh btw and for the record I am BOTH a father and stepfather - no matter how good a stepfather I am and I think I am a very good one I am NOT my stepsons father and I wouldnt ever presume to be..... I do everything i can to make sure he knows his father loves him and is there for him
August 13th, 2008 at 10:19 am
The fact that this question was even researched shows the misandry in our society. I am sure there are situations where the sexes could be reversed and fathers who are married to women who are not the biological mother of their children would rate their spouses higher than fathers who are married to their kids biological mother.
Just consider this study in reverse. Ask men who have full custody of their children and are remarried to rate their new wife's performance with the kids and compare this to men who are the primary caregivers of their kids and are still married to the biological mother. All the individuals should be in "fragile" families to maximize the chance the results will not support traditional marriage.
Of course that research will never be done but it questions the value of mothers and women. Academia and the media are so feminized they are an absolute joke and any thing they say should disregarded as pure propaganda.
August 13th, 2008 at 10:57 am
"Lawrence Berger, the study's lead author, cautioned that the findings applied only to so-called fragile families, defined as low-income urban families prone to nonmarital births."
The study, which was based on the subjective reports of the mothers, claims that fathers who live with the children's mother are more involved parents.
Not that surprising.
Mothers who live with their children are more involved mothers too.
Why were the children's fathers pushed out of the children's lives?
August 13th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Step dads are walking on "egg shells" .. if they dont conform to mom's way .. mom's house .. then there is the alternative !
August 13th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Step moms beat biological mothers in parenting.
Talk to any of the guy who have custody of their children and see if this isn't so.
And of course only talk to the guy, no one else.
August 13th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
I hate to bring this up but all this anti-father, anti male stuff that has been going around for decades reminds me of the pamphlets the Germans use to hand out to the German people which claimed the "hair of the Jew is infectious" and Jews were not allowed to use public toilets in Germany...
August 14th, 2008 at 1:10 am
Glenn, that was a great interview! I counted about 9 talking points you got in there. I bet Adler is getting swamped with emails on both sides of the fence.
I imagine you'll be back on again soon enough.
Good job!