The Coparenting Relationship: July 2009 NCFMR RB-09-01 Research Brief Key to Strengthening Fragile Families

What is Coparenting? The relationship that two individuals, typically the mother and father, have in relation to parenting a child or children is called the coparenting relationship. This relationship is conceptualized separately from the romantic relationship since parents may not be romantically involved yet still cooperate to parent their shared children.

Introduction Figure 1 “Father This research brief discusses the results of Fragile Families asks all mothers at each interview the set of coparenting two research questions analyzed with the questions listed with responses ranging from Never True (0) to Always True involvement Fragile Families data. First, among married (3). These items are summed to achieve a coparenting scale (0-18), in Data Source and cohabiting couples who have just had which higher numbers indicate better coparenting. The Fragile Families and Child and a positive Wellbeing Study is following a a shared child: Are father involvement and Average Coparenting Over Time by Union Status/Transition cohort of nearly 5,000 children coparenting associated with a change in born in large U.S. cities between coparenting Overall Average relationship quality in the five years after 17.5 1998 and 2000 (roughly three- 17 the birth? Second, among cohabiting quarters of whom were born to relationship 16.5 Continuously Married couples: Are father involvement and 16 unmarried parents). Interviews 15.5 coparenting associated with transitions to Continuously Cohabiting were conducted with parents at are positively 15 the child’s birth and first, third, marriage or separation in the first five years 14.5 Continuously 14 and fifth birthdays. of the child’s life? A positive coparenting Visiting/Nonromantic associated with 13.5 Coparenting Scale Coparenting relationship may reduce the stress typically 13 Transition to Marriage or Cohabitation relationship associated with parenting (i.e., increased 12.5 responsibility, lack of sleep) and increase 12 Transition to Divorce, Separation 1 3 5 or Multiple Transitions quality after the rewards (i.e., more play time, feeling Child Age in Years competent in the parental role). The Key findings: the birth of a benefits of coparenting may be particularly strong for cohabiting parents who do not • Coparenting is an child among have the legal commitment to each other that (5) talks about problems with parenting, and important component (6) counts on the father for help. married couples share. of parents’ cohabiting The mothers are then asked to respond: often (2), relationship quality. and married sometimes (1), or never (0). These responses are • Coparenting is Conceptualization and Method summed to get a coparenting score in which higher associated with parents.” Coparenting has only recently become a topic of values indicate a more positive coparenting relationship. greater individual research. Although there are multiple ways to well-being among conceptualize the coparenting relationship, the method To investigate whether coparenting is associated with parents. utilized in this research is to consider the ways that greater relationship quality among cohabiting and • Positive coparenting parents support each other in their roles. Mothers are married parents over time, a dyadic hierarchical linear relationships provide asked at waves 1, 3, and 5, how often (the father): model approach is used to chart parallel trajectories union stability, for mothers and fathers simultaneously. To determine (1) acts as an appropriate role model for the child, whether coparenting is positively associated with benefiting both (2) is trusted to take care of the child, transitions to marriage and negatively associated with parents and children. (3) respects your schedule and rules, transitions to separation among cohabiting parents, a (4) supports you in raising the child, discrete time event history approach is used.

005 Williams Hall • Bowling Green State University • Bowling Green, OH 43403 http://ncfmr.bgsu.edu • 419.372.4910 • [email protected] Sources Results Policy Implications NCFMR Bumpass, L., & Lu, H. (2000. Trends Using four waves of data from the Fragile Families The U.S. government has allocated funds to programs Research Brief in cohabitation and implications for and Child-Wellbeing Study, the role of coparenting in children’s family contexts in the United that foster healthy relationships and/or encourage the trajectory of relationship quality among married bout the uthor States. Population Studies, 54(1), 29-41. father involvement. The research on coparenting A A Carlson, M. J. (2007). Trajectories and cohabiting couples after the birth of a child and its benefits for parents and children highlight the of couple relationship quality after is examined. Coparenting is positively associated importance of the inclusion of parenting techniques Lauren Rinelli, Ph.D. childbirth: Does marriage matter? with relationship quality in the five years after a Sociology, graduated Center for Research on Child Wellbeing and communication about parenting in these child is born. Additionally, the research explores programs. Positive coparenting can occur even if from Bowling Green Working Paper #2007-11-FF. the association between coparenting and union State University Carlson, M. J., McLanahan, S. S., & parents separate and may be particularly important in Brooks-Gunn, J. (2006). Do good transitions among parents who are cohabiting at the those cases. Therefore, programs that address issues in August 2009. partners make good parents?: child’s birth. The results indicate that coparenting such as communication, prioritization of the child, the She is currently an Relationship quality and parenting in is largely, positively associated with transitions to importance of responsibility and dependability, and Assistant Professor two-parent families. Center for Research marriage and negatively associated with transitions other skills that may result in both healthy romantic in the Department on Child Wellbeing Working to separation. This relationship persists controlling of Social and Paper 2006-34-FF. relationships and positive coparenting relationships may for relationship quality, father involvement, Behavioral Sciences Feinberg, M. E. (2003). The internal be especially effective. structure and ecological context of and a number of background characteristics of at Savannah State coparenting: A framework for research both parents and the child. In fact, coparenting University. and intervention. Parenting: Science & attenuates for the relationship between Practice, 3(2), 95. cohabitors’ plans to marry at birth and Levy-Shiff, R. (1994). Individual and their subsequent union transitions. Figure 2 Rinelli’s brief is based on contextual correlates of marital change Therefore, among cohabiting parents, Among parents who are cohabiting at the child’s birth, coparenting a paper that is part of across the transition to parenthood. NCFMR’s Working Paper Developmental Psychology, 30(4), 591. coparenting matters for the success is assessed (see Figure 1 for details). Figure 2 shows average Series: Reichman, N., Teitler, J., Garfinkel, I., or dissolution of their unions beyond coparenting during the cohabiting union by the union outcome. http://ncfmr.bgsu.edu/ McLanahan, S. (2001). Fragile Families: their relationship quality, relationship Parents who subsequently marry by the child’s fifth birthday exhibit page78702.html Sample and Design. Child and Youth expectations, and absolute level of the highest level of coparenting, followed by continuous cohabitors, and is lowest among parents who separate. Services and Review, 23(4/5), 303-326. father involvement. Shapiro, A. F., Gottman, J. M., & Carrère, S. (2000). The baby and the marriage: Identifying factors that buffer The transition to parenthood is arguably Coparenting by Union Outcome Among against decline in marital satisfaction the most stressful time for a family. Cohabiting Parents at Birth after the first baby arrives. Journal of This project was supported There are many changes to parents’ with a grant from the U.S. Family Psychology, 14(1), 59-70. daily routines, increased worry and Department of Health

stress, greater responsibility, lack of 17 and Human Services, For a full listing of sources, please visit the Office of the Assistant 16.5 NCFMR website: http://ncfmr.bgsu.edu/ sleep, and increased financial expenses. Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, grant number pdf/working_papers/file87969.pdf When parents work together as a team, 16 5 UOI AEOOOOOI-03. The these stressors may be reduced and 15.5 opinions and conclusions the rewards of having a new child can expressed herein are solely 15 those of the author(s) The National Center for be more readily enjoyed. A positive and should not be construed Coparenting Scale Coparenting 14.5 Family & Marriage Research, coparenting relationship is key to as representing the opinions established in 2007 by the adjustment during this time for resident 14 or policy of any agency of Office of the Assistant Married Separated Remain Cohabiting the Federal government. Secretary for Planning and and nonresident parents and may strengthen fragile families. Cohabiting Parents' Union Outcome Evaluation (ASPE) in the Over 5 Years after Birth U.S. Department of Health This electronic and Human Services, aims to document may be improve our understanding distributed freely of how marriage and family for research and structure affect the health and educational purposes wellbeing of families, adults, with attribution to children and communities and the National Center to inform policy development for Family & Marriage and programmatic responses. 005 Williams Hall • Bowling Green State University • Bowling Green, OH 43403 Research and the http://ncfmr.bgsu.edu • 419.372.4910 • [email protected] author(s).