- Perhaps the single best thing a Mississippi child can have in life is a loving mother and father who are married and present. That makes all the difference.
According to a new national report ranking the strength of families in each state, Mississippi ranked 45th in the country. We’ve been climbing a lot of rankings lately, but, tragically, when it comes to strong families, we are continuing to flounder.
One of the factors that contributed to this ranking was the percentage of teens being raised in a house with two married parents. On this variable, Mississippi was dead last in the country, with a shockingly low 51.1% of teens being raised in such a household.
This is a tragedy that should be top of mind for every policymaker and community leader in our state. Perhaps the single best thing a Mississippi child can have in life is a loving mother and father who are married and present. That makes all the difference.
Mississippi must end the cycle of broken families in our state. First and foremost, this, of course, begins at home. Success begets success. Failure begets failure. Kids need good models for parenthood, and they need a married mom and dad to raise them. Far too many Mississippi children are being deprived of these today. Without positive examples from their childhood, it becomes even more difficult for them to break the cycle in their own lives.
Children from broken homes are themselves more likely to divorce. Studies have shown that they’re upwards of even 50% more likely to experience marital breakdown. And the impact goes beyond just marital success as well. Young men specifically are almost 20% more likely to graduate college than end up in prison when raised by their two married, biological parents.
The clear solution to this issue ultimately lies at home. Real long-term change can only happen if more Mississippi parents commit to raising children in a married household. However, one tangible thing that can be done to encourage family formation and the personal success of Mississippi kids is to teach the Success Sequence in schools.
For those who don’t know, the Success Sequence is essentially the secret ingredient to finding achievement and avoiding poverty in life. Its value has consistently been proven. And it’s comprised of only three ingredients.
- Graduate from high school.
- Get a full-time job.
- Get married before having children.
Research shows that 97% of individuals who follow all three steps are not poor as adults. 90% of those who complete just the first two steps are not poor. In comparison, over half of adults in their 30s who missed all three steps are in poverty.
Each of these steps used to be so deeply and universally ingrained into our culture that they were common sense. Unfortunately, that is not the case anymore (a discussion for a much longer article), and thus we must start by once again teaching the basics somewhere. For those who don’t receive this lesson at home, this can start in the classroom. The Success Sequence should be taught to students in every school across Mississippi.
The Success Sequence goes far beyond just healthy family formation but captures essential principles for life and achievement. More young Mississippians following this example would not only mean healthier families, but less people finding themselves in poverty or in prison as well.
Do I think that teaching the Success Sequence in schools is enough to deter any future criminal, negligent parent, or school dropout? Not in the slightest. But I do think that the lesson reinforces the tangibility of the American Dream. And I think that it offers every single malleable youth the chance to hear, at least once, that their destiny is fully in their hands and their future will be shaped not by hidden forces beyond their control but by the choices that they make in the present moment. Every Mississippian deserves to know that.
We live in an age where success is often expected overnight. Viral sensations and social media algorithms have only served to reinforce this concept. But for most people, success is achieved by embracing predictable age-old truths and getting the simple things right. The Success Sequence is clear proof of this.
There are a million policies that could be enacted (and perhaps even more bad ones that should be avoided or repealed) that could help with family formation and poverty reduction in Mississippi. However, an incredibly easy place for us to start is by recognizing that there is, in fact, a hidden recipe for success in America, and its secret ingredients are worth sharing widely.
Hunter Estes
