Coparenting Negotiation During the Transition to Parenthood: A Qualitative Study of Couples’ Experiences as New Parents

Abstract

Coparenting – how couples relate to one another in their joint roles as parents – is predictive of a wide variety of family and child outcomes. The current study used a qualitative, phenomenological approach to understand how couples negotiate the coparenting relationship during the transition to parenthood. The principal researcher interviewed 16 men and women of eight heterosexual, dual-earning, new parent couples. Themes emerged which were both conducive to successful coparenting and inhibitive of successful coparenting. Gender distinctions emerged between men and woman in their experiences of coparenting negotiation. Clinical implications of the themes are discussed.

Keywords:

• child rearing; heterosexual couples; infant; transition to parenthood; couples conflict and conflict resolution

Acknowledgements

This article is based on the doctoral dissertation of Anna Sheedy. She wishes to thank her additional committee members, Drs. Kelly McClure and Pamela Lannutti for their assistance with this project. She also wishes to thank her research assistants who assisted in the completion of the project during the peer-debriefing process: Joshua Rutherford, Christine Soroka, Mariah Williams, and Rafael Rodriguez.