Same‐sex parents facing parenting standards. First results from three longitudinal studies

How do same‐sex parents take on the “job” of parenting and the institutional norms that define it during the first months of the child's life? What are the proximities and differences between same‐sex parents and heterosexual parents in matters of eating habits, hygiene, emotional regulation, and play habits? This paper answers these questions by using a systematic comparison of data provided by the French Longitudinal Study of Children (Étude Longitudinale Française depuis l'Enfance or ELFE) and the DEVHOM project. We first underline the fact that the habits of gay and lesbian families are close to those of the families belonging to social groups which they most often originate from: educated middle and upper classes. However, they differ on a greater sensitivity to breastfeeding norms and a greater concern for some aspects of their children's development. We offer three hypotheses to explain this difference: primary socialisation, specific forms of family organisation and a greater normative pressure felt by homosexual couples.