Australia: Marriage at the heart of a crucial commitment to children

Patrick Parkinson at SMH.com.au: But we need to do more than this. We need to look afresh at the overwhelming evidence that children do best in families with two married parents. It is not the wedding ring that does it. What seems to make the difference is that process of clear decision and public commitment. The promise to commit for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health really matters when the ”worse” happens, when money is tight, and when sickness strikes. Of course it is not a guarantee, but the likelihood that a non-marital relationship with children will break down is many times higher than for marriages.