Kids With Happy Supportive Families Probably Grow Up to Have Happier Marriages
LatestToday in “Yes, I Guess That Makes Sense,” new research shows that kids with happy and supportive families generally grow up to have more successful marriages than kids who don’t. “The overall family climate seems to matter,” says Robert Ackerman, a psychologist at the University of Texas at Dallas who authored the study. “A positive family climate is related to individuals being more positively engaged with their spouses.”
The most important time for a child to be in a happy family environment — Ackerman’s research suggests — is during the teen years. A teen’s chance to learn to talk positively through conflicts with their parents and siblings tended to carry over into their later life marriages. Additionally, those who grew up with happy home lives were more often satisfied with their marriages in generally and not just in conflict situations.