Of the remaining 60 percent, only one in five sleeps even one night per month in the father's home. Overall, only one in six children living absent their fathers sees their father an average of once per week. The fact is, children born to cohabiting couples are likely, before too long, to see their dads transform into occasional visitors. Given what we know about the importance of early parental attachment, it may be worse for children to bond with their father at an early age, only to see him disappear later in life, than never to have established a relationship in the first place. Cohabitation is not just bad for children, it's also not so good for adults.
Married adults are, on average, happier, healthier and wealthier than their cohabiting counterparts.
Moreover, contrary to the popular perception perpetuated by the media, married couples also report more satisfying sex lives. Married couples also fight less and are less likely to abuse alcohol or illegal drugs. Given the mountain of evidence suggesting the superiority of marriage, I simply don't get why we have become so permissive about cohabitation. Marriage isn't just a piece of paper. It confers real benefits to children and to adults.