title: Children's play narratives: what they tell us about lesbian-mother families.
abstract: Play narratives can offer a unique insight into the child's internal world. This study compared the play narratives of children in 38 lesbian-mother families; 73 two-parent, heterosexual-mother families; and 58 single-heterosexual-mother families recruited from a general population sample. Findings indicated positive mother-child relationships and well-adjusted children. Girls' narratives showed more affection than boys' and were more strongly associated with mothers' interview measures, suggesting that girls' play narratives reveal a more accurate picture of family relationships.
authors.affiliation: Child Psychology Research Centre, City University, London, England.
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burston
authors.forename: Madeleine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Golding
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Golombok
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D018452:Homosexuality, Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012737:Sex Factors