This is a follow-up video to our previous discussion on monogamous and polyamorous relationships, examining them from the standpoint of transcended consciousness.
In this video, we aim to explore the potential impact of polyamorous relationships on children, as some individuals in these relationships choose to become parents.
It is important to acknowledge the potential challenges involved, as every aspect of life requires a cost-benefit analysis, and it is often uncomfortable to address the associated costs and trade-offs. While it is not a certainty, there is a reasonable likelihood that certain factors may come into play, potentially compromising an optimal childhood environment in favor of personal relationship preferences.
Complex family dynamics: Children in polyamorous families may face emotional challenges due to the intricacies of the family structure. Navigating their place and role within a framework involving multiple parental figures can be difficult. Feelings of confusion, competition, and emotional neglect may arise, potentially impacting the overall well-being of the children.
Role ambiguity: In traditional family structures, the roles of biological parents are usually clear. However, in a polyamorous setup, these lines can become blurred. Imagine watching a movie without knowing who the main characters are or what they are supposed to do. Similarly, children in these families might struggle to understand the dynamics and roles of each parental figure. This lack of clarity can create confusion and hinder their overall development.
Division of resources: With multiple spouses and children in a family, resources such as time, finances, and attention can become stretched thin. This division of resources may result in fewer opportunities for children, such as limited extracurricular activities or reduced access to individualized education. Consequently, a sense of unfairness and missed chances for the children may emerge. Additionally, the lack of emotional attention due to the demands on multiple parental figures can impact their well-being. The result is a sense of unfairness and missed chances for the children.
Strained relationships: The presence of multiple spouses can lead to tension and conflicts within the family. These disputes and challenges can impact the overall family environment and strain the relationships between spouses and children. Witnessing or being exposed to such conflicts can cause stress and emotional strain on children.
Social stigma and discrimination: Many societies do not widely accept polyamorous relationships, exposing children to social stigma, bullying, and discrimination. This can have negative effects on their social interactions, self-esteem, and overall well-being.
Lack of privacy: Sharing is often considered a virtue, but in polyamorous families, privacy can become limited. With multiple spouses, finding personal space and alone time can be challenging. It's akin to trying to find a quiet spot at a crowded party. The lack of privacy might affect a child's ability to explore their own individuality, maintain personal boundaries, or simply have a quiet moment to themselves.
As bonus fact that we learned after creating this video, it turns out that children residing in households with unrelated adults were nearly 50 times more likely to die of inflicted injuries than children residing with two biological parents, and that 84% of perpetrators were the unrelated adult household member (PMID: 16263983). In a separate study, children with a non-biological father living in the household were 2.6 times more likely to be physically abused (PMID: 11675811). In other words, abuse is twice as likely but death from that abuse is 50 times more likely, from which we can also infer that abuse from non-biological parents is clearly more severe. “Progressive” notions of family cannot escape the cold, hard social truth that the most dangerous person in a child’s life is an unrelated cohabitating adult, usually male.