Children’s Well-Being in Post-Separation Shared-Time Parenting: the Moderating Role of Parental Pressure to Side

• In Event: Fathers‘ involvement in nuclear and separated families: Implications for parenting arrangements

Abstract

In the context of changing gender roles, fathers’ involvement in parenting has increased not only in nuclear families, but also in separated families. Separated parents increasingly opt for shared parenting-time with comparable numbers of children’s overnights spent in each parent’s household. In the debate about possible risks of shared-time parenting, conflict between parents is a key factor. While some authors argue that interparental conflict is particularly stressful for children in the context of frequent contact to both parents (e.g., Kalmijn, 2016), others point out that interparental conflict may rather be a general stressor which does not moderate effects of shared-time parenting (Nielsen, 2018). Our study aims to add to this debate by focusing the role of coparenting problems, a frequent companion of interparental conflict. More specifically, we address the role of parents’ pressure to side, i.e. their efforts to involve the child in an alliance against the other parent. We expect that negative effects of parental pressure to side are particularly pronounced in shared parenting, since shared parenting increases the exposure to and salience of parental rivalry, thus undermining children’s secure position between both parents.
Our study is based on first-wave data from an evaluation study which investigates the effects of a parenting program for separated parents (“Kinder im Blick”). Conflicted parents are overrepresented in this sample. Since the program invites both parents to participate (in separate groups), this sample provides maternal as well as paternal views on post-separation family life and children’s well-being. Data come from separated parents (55 % mothers) of 555 minor children (age 3-18). Parents answered a written questionnaire prior to the intervention, covering demographic factors, interparental conflict, cooperative coparenting, parents’ pressure to side, parenting quality, and child well-being (Strenghts and Difficulties Questionnaire).
Contrary to other findings, formal education and income were not higher among parents with shared parenting compared to mother residence with high or moderate/low contact to father. Fathers with shared parenting-time reported more positive coparenting and more supportive fathering than fathers in other arrangements. However, children’s well-being did not evidence a general advantage of shared parenting when compared to maternal residence with high or moderate to low contact to the father. The expected moderation effect of parental pressure to side was found in maternal reports only (p < .01, see table 1). As hypothesized, mothers with shared parenting and high pressure to side indicated the highest problem scores for children whereas children’s problem score was lowest in shared parenting with low parental pressure to side. Children in other arrangements (mother residence with high or moderate to low contact) took an intermediate position, evidencing no effect of parental pressure to side. No moderation effect of interparental conflict was found for either maternal or paternal report. The findings will be discussed in a family systems perspective, highlighting the role of coparenting problems and parental rivalry. Implications for parenting interventions and decisions about parenting arrangements will be pointed out.

Authors

• Sabine Walper, German Youth Institute
  Presenting Author

• Stefanie Amberg, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich
  Non-Presenting Author