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Comment by rada | Hacker News Reader

You've missed the main point of the article: "opinions are used interchangeably with facts", and rushed to post an opinion not (as far as one could tell from your post) based on fact. Do you have anything to back up your claim that a "male (or female) role model is an important part of the development of kids"?

Just as an example, here is research that says otherwise:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100121135904.ht...

The researchers found no evidence of gender-based parenting abilities, with the "partial exception of lactation," noting that very little about the gender of the parent has significance for children's psychological adjustment and social success.

Another example:

http://news.discovery.com/human/genetics/parents-gender-chil...

Children usually benefit from having two parents instead of one. The gender of each parent, however, does not have a significant impact on a child's success.

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I'm afraid you are the one who rushed to post an opinion without reading it first, since I'm actually saying the same thing. Read the comment again.

I said that "male (or female) role model is an important part of the development of kids", not that "having both a father and mother is an important part of development kids", because kids will interact with people of both sexes and develop mental models accordingly - kids are not limited to learning only from their parents.

The fact kids look upon role models of both sexes is plain old behaviorism.

I've read your post several times to make sure I understood it correctly before posting.

I replied to your baseless assertions that kids need male role models and both genders for their development: "in the absence of a father figure kids will look for role models [several examples of male role models]", "you don't want a homogeneous environment". My links show research that specifically says this is not true. The author of the article goes to great lengths to say it's not true. Do you have any facts or personal experiences that say otherwise?

(If by "uncle" and "Clint Eastwood next door" you didn't mean a male role model, and by "homogeneous environment" you didn't mean gender-homogeneous, then what did you mean)?

"My links show research that specifically says this is not true."

The researches show that there's no evidence of the importance of genders on parenting, and I agree.

That is quite different than saying exposure to people of both genders is not important. It is important just as it is important for children to be exposed to people of different age, ethnicity, culture, opinion, and such. This exposure helps them build complete mental models of how other people behave, which is important for the development of empathy and self-image.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empathy#Development

Oh really? So you see an article titled "What it's like to have two mothers", respond with "kids need male role models" but excuse everybody, what you really mean is, "it is important for children to be exposed to people of different age, ethnicity, culture, opinion, and such". Ok then.

FYI, kids grow up just fine in culturally and ethnically homogeneous environments. There is a world outside the United States or wherever you happen to be from. There are very large countries out there made up entirely of one ethnicity and one culture, and not everyone in those countries is devoid of empathy.

"So you see an article titled "What it's like to have two mothers", respond with "kids need male role models" but excuse everybody"

You read what you wanted to read.

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