Exploring the Quality of School Experiences in Children Raised by Two Lesbian Mothers in Italy Through Children's Narratives.

Abstract

Research on the school experiences of children with same-gender parents has been conducted through parents', teachers', and educators' narratives, while children's perspectives are still unexplored in the LGBTQ+ field. The present study explores the quality of school experience in 36 children (6-12 years; M_age = 8.98; SD_age = 2.23) of 30 lesbian mothers (19 boys and 17 girls) born through assisted reproductive techniques. We used the specific section of the Friends and Family Interview regarding children's school experience (school experience section) that provides a measure of a child's school competence in terms of excitement and confidence in schoolwork, relationships with peers and teachers in the school context, and the child's engagement in school. Children describe school environments as contexts where they feel welcomed without episodes of discrimination or homophobic bullying from their peers. We performed a reflexive thematic analysis regarding the answers related to their relationships with their favorite teacher(s). The children suggest feelings of security and acceptance from teachers and report positive relationships with them declined into four different themes: (1) funny teacher and positive school climate; (2) kindness and patience; (3) engaging with 'unconventional activities'; and (4) protective and normative behaviors. The present study underlines the relevance of inclusive curricula, anti-bullying policies, and safe school practices regarding same-gender parent families. Moreover, teachers must be attuned to children's school experiences with same-gender parents and cultivate caring classroom environments.