Maternal Gatekeeping

Fagan, Jay; Cherson, Mollie

doi:10.1177/0192513x15578007

Cited by 46 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Maternal gatekeeping, a component of the coparenting relationship (Schoppe-Sullivan & Altenburger, 2019), reflects mothers' encouragement and discouragement of fathers' involvement in childrearing (Schoppe-Sullivan, Brown, Cannon, Mangelsdorf, & Sokolowski, 2008). Greater maternal gate-closing and less maternal gateopening are associated with lower father involvement in childrearing (Fagan & Cherson, 2017;Schoppe-Sullivan et al, 2008) and lower paternal parenting quality (Altenburger, Schoppe-Sullivan, & Kamp Dush, 2018).…”

Section: Family Relationshipsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Best and Worst of Times: Predictors of New Fathers’ Parenting Satisfaction and Stress

et al. 2021

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This study examined predictors of new fathers' parenting satisfaction and stress using data from 182 fathers in dual-earner couples who were followed across their transition to parenthood. Expectant fathers completed surveys about their personal characteristics (anxiety, belief in maternal essentialism, parenting self-efficacy expectations) and family relationships (confidence in the couple relationship) during the third trimester of pregnancy. At 3 months postpartum, fathers completed surveys about their family relationships (maternal gatekeeping) and child characteristics (infant negative emotionality, infant gender), as well as their parenting satisfaction and stress. Results of regression analyses indicated that expectant fathers with greater parenting selfefficacy expectations reported less parenting stress and greater satisfaction at 3 months postpartum. More anxious expectant fathers were at risk of experiencing elevated levels of parenting stress postpartum, as were fathers with lower endorsement of maternal essentialism and infants highly negative in mood. Fathers were more satisfied in their roles as parents when mothers engaged in greater gate-opening behavior, particularly when those fathers expressed less confidence in their couple relationships prior to their child's birth. Results indicate the importance of screening expectant and new fathers for anxiety, strengthening expectant fathers' parenting self-efficacy, and encouraging greater maternal support for engaged fathering.

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Section: Family Relationshipsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Best and Worst of Times: Predictors of New Fathers’ Parenting Satisfaction and Stress

et al. 2021

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“…Some work has found that gate opening behaviors do predict increased father involvement, thereby promoting the father-child relationship and coparenting (Schoppe-Sullivan et al, 2008). Other work has found fathers' perceptions of greater maternal gate opening behaviors to enhance father involvement, but mothers' perceptions of greater maternal gate opening behaviors to be detrimental to father involvement (Fagan & Cherson, 2015). Thus, it appears that perceptions of gate opening may differ for mothers and fathers (Schoppe-Sullivan & Altenburger, 2018), and that how fathers perceive maternal behaviors may be critical for understanding the potential impact of maternal gatekeeping.…”

Section: Maternal Gatekeepingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One finding of particular interest is the positive association of gate opening with coparenting closeness and dyadic adjustment. Some work on maternal gate opening has suggested that gate opening may be destructive to the coparenting relationship because it could be viewed by fathers as maternal demandingness or nagging for increased father involvement (Fagan & Cherson, 2015). However, in Fagan and Cherson's study, maternal perceptions of facilitation of father involvement, which were associated with lower subsequent levels of father involvement, were reported by mothers, whereas mothers' encouragement of father involvement, which was associated with higher subsequent father involvement, was reported by fathers.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

New Fathers’ Perceptions of Dyadic Adjustment: The Roles of Maternal Gatekeeping and Coparenting Closeness

et al. 2019

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Although the association between maternal gatekeeping and relationship functioning has been explored by a few studies, none of these have focused on fathers' perceptions of these constructs. Given that today's new fathers are challenged by elevated expectations for active parenting and coparenting even as most new mothers remain primary caregivers of infant children, this is a critical omission. This study examined the associations between new fathers' perceptions of maternal gatekeeping and change in dyadic adjustment as mediated through coparenting closeness. Maternal gatekeeping was reported by 182 fathers at 3 months postpartum, coparenting closeness was reported at 3 and 6 months postpartum, and dyadic adjustment was reported during the third trimester of pregnancy and at 9 months postpartum. Fathers' perceptions of relative change in coparenting closeness from 3 to 6 months mediated associations between fathers' perceptions of maternal gatekeeping at 3 months and relative change in dyadic adjustment from the third trimester to 9 months postpartum. In particular, findings indicate that greater perceived maternal gate opening was associated with higher levels of dyadic adjustment through higher levels of coparenting closeness, whereas greater perceived maternal gate closing was associated with lower levels of dyadic adjustment through lower levels of coparenting closeness. This study highlights the importance of studying fathers in the context of the family system and the role of the coparenting relationship at the transition to parenthood in couple relationship functioning.

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“…Thus, the concept of maternal gatekeeping incorporates maternal behaviors that both inhibit and facilitate father involvement (Puhlman & Pasley, 2013; Schoppe-Sullivan, Brown, Cannon, Mangelsdorf, & Sokolowski, 2008). Early research on gatekeeping pertained primarily to married couples, and generally indicated that when mothers believe that fathers should be involved in child rearing, fathers tend to be more involved, but when mothers do not believe in the importance of father involvement, fathers tend to be less involved (Allen & Hawkins, 1999; Fagan & Cherson, 2017; Gaunt, 2008).…”

Section: Maternal Gatekeepingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Construction of Single Mothers’ Roles as Gatekeepers Between Children and Nonresident Fathers

Nixon

Hadfield

2018

Journal of Family Issues

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This study explores single mothers’ roles as gatekeepers in the relationship between children and nonresident fathers in families, where fathers do not have a history of shared residence with their children. Thematic analysis of interviews with 34 mothers in Ireland revealed that the majority of mothers adopted gate-opening strategies, including active facilitation of father–child contact, conditional facilitation, and adoption of a “hands-off approach” wherein mothers were open to—but not actively involved in facilitating—father–child contact. A minority of mothers were not open to their children having contact with their fathers (gate-closing). Underpinning mothers’ gatekeeping strategies were beliefs about the importance of fathers and a desire to protect their children. The findings indicate that gate-opening could be challenging for mothers as they were required to balance a tension between believing that father–child contact was important for their children and being concerned about their children’s well-being within the father–child relationship.

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Maternal Gatekeeping

Cited by 46 publications

References 31 publications

The Best and Worst of Times: Predictors of New Fathers’ Parenting Satisfaction and Stress

The Best and Worst of Times: Predictors of New Fathers’ Parenting Satisfaction and Stress

New Fathers’ Perceptions of Dyadic Adjustment: The Roles of Maternal Gatekeeping and Coparenting Closeness

Construction of Single Mothers’ Roles as Gatekeepers Between Children and Nonresident Fathers

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