Is It Easier the Second Time Around? Fathers’ Roles Across the Transition from One Child to Two

Handbook of Fathers and Child Development

“…Often cast as the search for the determinants of fathering, this search focused on a variety of factors at several levels of analysis including individual characteristics such as paternal attitudes, motivation and skills, their quality of relationship with their family of origin, men's mental and physical health, and their age at the time of the onset of parenthood (in early adolescence vs on time vs late timed onset). The gender and birth order of the child with whom the father was involved were further determinants (see Volling, Steinberg, & Kuo, 2020). At the family level, the quality of the couple relationship and maternal gatekeeping were discovered as determinants of father involvement (see Frascarolo, Favez, Tissot, & Fivaz-Despeuringe, 2020).…”

Paternal and maternal rejection and Chinese children's internalizing and externalizing problems across the transition to siblinghood: A developmental cascade model of family influence

“…When a baby sibling is born, some children may experience the loss of parental attention as a sign of parental rejection, and this, in turn, may predict individual differences in children's adjustment. Mothers and fathers may respond differently to children's challenging behaviors or work together as coparents across the transition (Volling et al, 2020). In the current study, both Chinese mothers and fathers reported on parental rejection and children's internalizing and externalizing problems as part of a longitudinal investigation (prebirth, 1, 6, and 12 months postbirth) on children's adjustment after the birth of a second child.…”

“…In addition, Kendrick and Dunn (1980) found in their sample of 40 British families that there was a significant increase in mothers' prohibitions directed at children after the birth of a second child, which children may perceive as parental rejection. However, no study has considered paternal rejection over this period, even though there is some suggestion that fathers may play a protective role for children's adjustment by compensating for the changes in the mother–child relationship (Kreppner, 1988; Volling et al, 2020).…”

“…Baydar et al (1997) found in a sample of U.S. mothers, that it was the increase in mothers' physical punishment and decrease in positive parenting that mediated relations between the birth of a sibling and children's socioemotional adjustment problems. In two‐parent, mother–father families, fathers may play a crucial role in supporting children's adjustment across the transition, when mothers may have more direct involvement in the care of the newborn infant (Kreppner, 1988; Volling et al, 2020). In fact, father involvement in childcare mitigated children's separation anxiety after the birth in a sample of U.S. families (Volling et al, 2020).…”

“…In two‐parent, mother–father families, fathers may play a crucial role in supporting children's adjustment across the transition, when mothers may have more direct involvement in the care of the newborn infant (Kreppner, 1988; Volling et al, 2020). In fact, father involvement in childcare mitigated children's separation anxiety after the birth in a sample of U.S. families (Volling et al, 2020).…”