Lesbians, on the other hand, socialized as women, are rewarded early for the development of relationship skills. Typically, little girls take care of their dolls and play at being mothers. As adolescents, they dream about home, family and spouse. They are trained and psychologically prepared to be nurturers. Little girls who grow up to be lesbians often do not deviate from their programming, aside from the gender of their partners.
Much emphasis is put on nurturing in the couple relationship.
Having and hanging onto a partner is usually critical to their sense of well-being. While success at this makes for stability and continuity in one's everyday life, it does sometimes create an overdependency on the relationship for validation. Options for individual growth outside home and the partnership go unrecognized.