Deakin University on Inherited

If you had a difficult time with your parents growing up you might assume this will impact all of your adult relationships from your romantic partnerships right through to the bond you have with your kids. We're almost taught that the damage is done and what will be will be but Associate Professor Jackie McDonald and researchers from Deakin University have discovered that it's a lot more nuanced and hopeful. Jackie has joined me to chat it through and your research suggests, Jackie, that when we're teenagers building those strong foundations for future relationships, our friends actually matter more than we might think. Yes, we put so much weight on parents that we forget how much our friends are teaching us. Friendships are a different kind of relationships. They're more equal, more of a negotiation, where we practice things like trust, reading other people and working through conflict. So in our research across two countries, teenagers with good friendships tended to have healthier romantic relationships later. And it was strongest when they had strong bonds with both their friends and their parents. But here's the hopeful part. A good friendship may offer some of the security that a young person might not always get at home. So if things were hard with your parents, that's not the end of the story. A trusted friend can be part of what helps you build strong foundations for future relationships. If you're keen to learn more about the research, head to deakin.edu.au forward slash inherited. And a huge thank you to Deakin Uni for making this episode of Inherited possible.