The Dyadic Effects of Supportive Coparenting and Parental Stress on Relationship Quality Across the Transition to Parenthood

Abstract

The transition to first-time parenthood can be challenging for couples. Using a sample of 848 ethnically diverse couples from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study across the first 3 years of parenthood, we investigated the longitudinal and dyadic associations of each parents' parental stress, supportive coparenting, and relationship quality. Results from an actor-partner interdependence model indicated that supportive coparenting significantly predicted higher relationship quality for both mothers and fathers. Fathers' supportive coparenting significantly buffered the effects of mothers' parental stress on relationship quality. Also, the unique dyadic contexts of each parents' supportive coparenting, and also both partners' parental stress were significantly associated with relationship quality. Clinical implications from these findings are discussed through commonly used clinical theories.

Supportive Coparenting, Parenting Stress, Harsh Parenting, and Child Behavior Problems in Nonmarital Families

“…Some evidence links coparenting with parenting stress, indicating that supportive coparenting with shared decision-making and less conflict reduces parenting stress (Fagan & Lee, 2014). It is also well documented that supportive coparenting benefits parents and their children while serving as a protective factor to buffer them from the negative effects of parenting stress (Durtschi, Soloski, & Kimmes, 2017;Feinberg, 2003). In this situation, a coparent's welcomed support in parenting may alleviate the other parent's daily stressors; thus, a high degree of supportive coparenting is expected to reduce the negative impact of parenting stress on either parent.…”

Foster Caregivers' Marital and Coparenting Relationship Experiences: A Dyadic Perspective

“…For example, marital distress and hostility is positively associated with negative affect and disagreement within the coparenting relationship (Stroud, Durbin, Wilson, & Mendelsohn, ). Conversely, among couples in the transition to parenthood, coparenting relationship quality is associated with both mothers' and fathers' perceptions of their couple relationship quality (Durtschi, Soloski, & Kimmes, ). Similarly, in a sample of married African American couples with adolescents, Riina and McHale () found a positive correlation between satisfaction with the couple and coparenting relationships.…”

The longitudinal and bidirectional association between parenting stress and couples' relationship quality

“…Longitudinal studies show that parenting stress remains stable over time whereby parents who report initial higher levels of parenting stress continue to experience elevated levels of parenting stress (Crnic, Gaze, & Hoffman, ), and relationship quality declines after the birth of a child (Carlson & VanOrman, ; Gottman & Notarius, ). Although theory and research indicate that there is an association between parenting stress and relationship quality (for overviews, see Durtschi, Soloski, & Kimmes, ; Kanter & Proulx, ; Zemp, Nussbeck, Cummings, & Bodenmann, ), the directionality of the association is less clear. Furthermore, most research in this area has disproportionately focused on married couples.…”

“…First, Bronte‐Tinkew, Horowitz, and Carrano () demonstrate that, among resident fathers, parenting stress was associated with less supportive coparenting between parents. Second, fathers' supportive coparenting significantly buffered the effects of mothers' parental stress on relationship quality, but parental stress was not predictive of either parent's relationship quality (Durtschi et al, ). Finally, mothers' and fathers' parenting stress was related to lower levels of couples' relationship quality 2 years later (Berryhill, Soloski, Durtschi, & Adams, ).…”