Co-Parenting Relationship Experiences of Black Adolescent Mothers in Active Romantic Partnerships With the Fathers of Their Children

Abstract

We conducted an interpretive description of co-parenting relationship experiences of romantically involved Black adolescent mothers and fathers with shared biological children. The study was conducted in Brooklyn, New York, using data from individual in-depth interviews with adolescent mothers and fathers (n = 10). Four themes were identified: (a) putting our heads together; (b) balancing childhood and parenthood; (c) less money, more problems; and (d) if we use condoms, it is for contraception. The co-parenting couples managed very complex relationships, but their mutual interest in the welfare of their children was a relational asset. Co-parents had sparse financial resources but used a moral economy strategy to provide mutual support. Future research is needed that focuses on identifying other co-parent relationship assets and integrating and evaluating their utility for enhancing interventions for adolescent families.

The Association Between African American Father–Child Relationships and HIV Testing

“…Thus, findings from this study, indicating that AA adolescents’ exposure to health care, in addition to father–child relationships, influences HIV testing, presents an apt intersection point that will benefit from further research on ways father–child relationships drive family-centered care within and beyond clinical settings. With the significant impact of HIV infection on the health and lives of AA adolescents, the results from our current study contribute toward addressing a much-needed knowledge gap in the ways to improve HIV testing and care (Boyd, Lea, & Quinn, 2020; Nelson, Thach, et al 2015; Nelson, Wilton, et al 2015; Ogunbajo et al, 2020) and present father–child relationships as a promising area for future targeted interventions (Coakley et al, 2017)…”

“…Parent–child sexual communication among youth has been associated with decreased sexual risk behaviors, increased adoption of sexual protective behaviors—including condom use and a reduction in the initiation of sexual intercourse—and decreased risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (Hadley et al, 2009; Harris et al, 2019; Kapungu et al, 2010; Lehr et al, 2005; Nelson, Thach, et al, 2015; Nelson, Wilton, et al, 2015). Most of the studies on parent–child sexual communication conducted among African American (AA) youth has focused on mother–daughter and mother–son sexual communication (Kapungu et al, 2010; Widman et al, 2016), which typically focuses on pregnancy prevention.…”

Randomized controlled trial of a prenatal focused coparenting consultation for unmarried black fathers and mothers: One‐year infant and family outcomes

“…Certainly, coparenting takes place between committed, cohabiting couples whether married or unmarried, but coparenting also occurs between non‐romantically committed biological mothers and fathers, and within formal and informal stepfamilies (see McHale & Jones, 2022, for a more detailed account of mother‐father coparenting in Black families). So, coparenting appears commonplace (Broderick et al., 2019; Nelson et al., 2015), even when parents decide not to pursue marriage or romantic coupling. Countless Black parents devise means to coparent their biologically shared children collaboratively, even when one parent is non‐residential (Carlson et al., 2008; Edin et al., 2009; McHale et al., 2015).…”