In today's society, the family structure has changed radically, moving from the traditional nuclear family to unconventional ones, such as single parenthood or same-sex families. Over the years, many people have wondered whether or not a parent's sexual orientation influences their children's sexual preferences. There is significant research that has shown that children with lesbian parents do not differ from children with heterosexual parents. Many people have argued that it is the value of the parents' relationship with the child and not the parent's sexual orientation that influences the child's development. Contrary to popular belief, children raised by lesbian parents are no more likely to become gay than children raised by heterosexual parents. A parent's sexual orientation is said to have little importance to children beyond family togetherness. In other words, the relationship between parent and child is much more important than the sexual orientation of the parents. Being a good parent to a child has nothing to do with your sexual preferences, but with how well you care for that child emotionally, physically, financially and mentally. Before the 20th century, children were often viewed as miniature versions of adults, so little attention was paid to children's cognitive and physical development. Interest in child development did not peak until the early 20th century. Conscientious parenting occurs not only within traditional nuclear families, but also within same-sex families. Both traditional and same-sex nuclear families can have positive and negative effects on children's cognitive, psychological, or behavioral development due to their upbringing. Child development is a procedure that… middle of the paper… a Tasker. “Adults Raised as Children in Gay Families.” American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 65.2 (1995). Meezan, William and Jonathan Rauch. "Gay Marriage, Same-Sex Parenting, and American Children." Marriage and the Welfare of Children 15 (2005): 2.Piaget, Jean. "The origins of intelligence in children". New York: International University Press, 1952. Scott M. Williams, Wendy Hill Williams. “My Family, Past, Present, and Future: A Personal Exploration of Marriage and Family.” Pearson Custom Publishing, 2005. Skinner, B. F. (1974). About behaviorism. New York: Knopf.S, Atherton J. “Learning and Teaching: Piaget's Developmental Theory.” 2011. June 2011. Tasker, Fiona. “Same-sex parenting and child development: Reviewing the contribution of parental gender.” Marriage and family journal 72.1 (2010): 35–40.