For US or The Children? Exploring the Association Between Coparenting Trajectories and Parental Commitment

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine whether an association between coparenting trajectories and parental commitment exists five years after the birth of focal children. Situated in commitment theory, the study used data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to estimate latent growth curve models to test the relationship between coparenting trajectories and commitment theory. Results show that the coparenting trajectory decreased over the four-year period, but reports remained high. Mothers who report high levels of coparenting also report being committed to the biological father, albeit commitment is low. This finding shows that parents may be dedicated to their children and constrained by the parental dyad. These findings support the hypothesis that children are constraining the parental dyad. Further, coparenting among unmarried, cohabiting parents influence parental relationships over time–substantiating the argument that a “new package deal” exists.

Social implications – If parents feel constrained to each other due to shared children, policies directed at coparenting, rather than marriage incentives and promotion, could help parents learn to negotiate their parental duties with each other to ensure that both parents are vested in their children’s lives.

Citation

Williams, H.M. (2019), "For US or The Children? Exploring the Association Between Coparenting Trajectories and Parental Commitment", Blair, S.L. and Costa, R.P. (Ed.) Transitions into Parenthood: Examining the Complexities of Childrearing (Contemporary Perspectives in Family Research, Vol. 15), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 79-101. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1530-353520190000015004