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Carmola Hauf, Amy M.

Psychology

2005

PhD

This study examines the experience, context, and meaning of parenting alliance among married couples (n = 39) raising young children. Mothers and fathers completed brief questionnaires and a detailed semi-structured coparenting interview when their first child was approximately three years old. Three major questions are addressed through thematic content analysis of the interview data: 1) What is the meaning and experience of coparetnting for parents of young children? 2) What factors support or undermine mothers' and fathers' ability to experience a strong coparenting relationship? 3) How and why does the coparenting relationship change as parents and children develop during the early years of family life? Parents' descriptions of their experiences reflect three perspectives from which coparenting may be understood and evaluated : coparenting is experienced as a working partnership, as an evolving process, and as a developmental context for parents and child. The working partnership perspective incorporates multiple, dynamic components and includes the potential for complementary collaboration with each parent making valued and unique contributions to the development of child and family. Parents often describe communication, teamwork, and patience as supporting coparenting quality and satisfaction, and their descriptions highlight the value of each parent feeling respect and appreciation for the coparenting contributions made by partner and by self. Mothers' and fathers' understanding of how coparenting and the larger family context evolve during the first three years and how their coparenting experiences may encourage or facilitate personal development yields several prominent themes that represent commonly perceived changes. Parents' understanding also demonstrates considerable variation within and among couples and underscores the importance of parents' motivations for and interpretations of coparenting as powerful influences on their understanding and evaluation of the coparenting relationship. Key themes are discussed in terms of conceptual and methodological implications for continued research in the areas of coparenting and family development.