ces petits riens

Does children need both a mother and a father while growing up? Are there biological differences between the qualities in men and women, making qualities available in different quantities to the child in a mother and father? Is it perhaps sufficient as long as there is always some sort of  substituting and adequate figures of identification of the same sex present? In the end it appears all too circumstancial for there to be answers applicable for all.

Alfons Åberg was raised single-handedly by his father in what seems as a loving environment. Sure, he got into a fight once and had an imaginary friend called Målgan but he turned out quite alright. Some even say he grew up to become the Prime Minister of Sweden, Fredrik Reinfeldt.