Watch: Is parenting a “two-person job”?
A debate sparked on GMB this morning about whether two parents in a family is always better than one, after Kemi Badenoch suggested that parenting is a “two person job”.
The Conservative Party leadership candidate said there needed to be more discussion about the role of fathers in raising children and “how it has to be a two-person job”, telling The Times: It sounded like they were always talking about single moms. Why is there no father? Why don’t they take care of their families?
“I remember early on in my parliamentary career doing quite a bit of casework with absentee fathers who were being pursued by the Children’s Services Agency. I think family is important.”
Conservative leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch said in an interview that she believes parenting is a “two-person job”. (Getty Images)
Following the comments, GMB invited two commentators, broadcaster Ateh Jewel and comedian David Lewis, to discuss the topic. Ate Jewel grew up in a single-parent household, and after her 26-year relationship broke down, she is now raising her twin daughters as a single mother. Lewis also grew up with a single mother, but now lives in a two-parent household with his long-term partner.
“I think it’s about what’s best for the kids,” Jewell told hosts Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid. “I don’t necessarily think fathers should be involved if they’re abusive or toxic. I know that if I hadn’t ended my close relationship with my father, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Masu.
“It’s about raising happy and confident children and we need to get rid of the Victorian stigma,” she added. “I didn’t want to be labeled a single mom, but I’ve never felt happier and happier. My children are an example of why you should be a single mom.”
Richard asks if it’s better to have two parents for a happy relationship, and Ate replies that it’s not necessarily an ideal situation.
Are two-parent families always better? Kemi Badenoch has sparked a debate about parenting. (Getty Images)
“I know millions of women on two-parent teams who still do the heavy lifting,” she explained. “Just because it’s a two-person team doesn’t mean the workload is the same. The mental burden often falls on one parent, and that’s often the mother.”
Susannah went on to point out that she believed Kemi Badenoch was trying to blame absentee fathers rather than single mothers, to which David Lewis responded by saying that he believes Kemi Badenoch is trying to blame absentee fathers rather than single mothers. I replied that I thought there was a point to what he said.
“From my own experience, I think there’s an additional dimension to parenting that you can give to your children that maybe wouldn’t be possible (in a single-parent household),” he said.
“I didn’t have a father figure, a masculine figure, a male role model to look up to in a kind of fatherly sense,” he said. “And that was kind of lacking.”
Having experienced both types of family structures, David said he was conscious of wanting his children to have a father figure that he didn’t necessarily have.
Kemi Badenoch’s comments about a two-parent family caused a debate. (Getty Images)
Susannah then said Kemi Badenoch’s comments could be a response to suggestions that veteran Tory MP Christopher Chope is too “preoccupied with children” to become leader. , to which Ateh responded that she felt his comments were “misogynistic.”
“I understand why she wanted to applaud like that,” she said. “I completely understand that that comment is double-edged and unfair on both sides, but at the same time, why would we even go into it? We just have to get on with it and get it over with.”
Later in the discussion, Richard Madeley highlighted one of Badenoch’s additional quotes, which pointed out that the majority of the male prison population did not grow up with a father. “The better fathers look after their children, the less likely they are to end up in prison. We need to talk about these things more,” Mr Badenoch said.
“I can’t necessarily comment on that, but I can say there’s a lot of dysfunction in families where both parents are together,” David added.
Ate concluded the discussion by telling viewers that she believes in setting a good example for children overall, regardless of family structure.
“It’s about being happy and healthy and being a good example for your children. And that doesn’t matter whether you’re a single parent or part of a 2.4-person parenting team.”
Read more about parenting:
