I need information on the debate to why mothers make better parents
than the fathers and why children should be awarded custody to the
mother.  It is a research paper so statistics and sound references are
the best.  Also, the reasons why a mother is a more fit parent than a
father.

---

Clarification of Question by c44play-ga on 13 Aug 2004 13:48 PDT

I need information on the debate to why mothers make better parents
than the fathers and why children should be awarded custody to the
mother.  It is a research paper so statistics and sound references are
the best.  Also, the reasons why a mother is a more fit parent than a
father. I also need to site my sources so please leave information in
order to do so.

Although this may be true generally, it is certainly not an absolute
truth.  There are fathers who are better than mothers.  Only a foolish
court would automatically grant custody based on gender.

As a father, I fully agree.

A good mother will absolutely dedicate herself to her children,
whereas a father simply enjoys their development, doing whatever he
can.

Obviously, not all mothers are 'good' mothers but it's a very good general rule.

Of course, it's always dangerous to generalise.

Some mothers, for example, have mental health problems, so there has
to be some way of identifying the exceptions to the rule.

Parents ideally come in pairs - a father and a mother;
and the better they are as a couple, the better
the parenting is likely to be. Only when they
are do not function as a couple should the question
arise; but neither alone is as a good a parent as
could be without the other half.

reb-ga

Regarding infants, fathers can't breast feed.

Hi c44play,

daytrader_7_6 has hit the nail on the head. 

That's why women gain a 60/40 advantage over men when it comes to
custody and/or access. It also seems to apply to property settlement,
supposedly as an adjunct to support of the child's future with
pre-emptive approaches by the courts. I am living proof of this
reality, as a man. Don't misunderstand me. No child should be deprived
of his/her mother firstly. Every kid needs their Mother. The Father is
inconsequential in my mind, provided that the Mother is willing, of
supposed (or yet uncountered) sound mind and available.

Good points from both Nelson and Probo .. yet Fathers too, can equally
have mental health issues. So, each argument cancels out the other
here.

c44 .. this might not answer your question, but our collective
thoughts might assist you from first hand experience.

In fact .. reb has hit the ideal .. "ideally come in pairs". Is there
any other way?

In thought, without going into the other aspects of tax and child
maintenance, as that was not your question.

Kind regards, Phil

Actually I heard that a fertilized egg was taken from one woman and
put into another's uterus, and the second woman gave birth to the
child.  So the child sort of has one father and two mothers.