Marcia J. Carlson (Columbia University) Sara S. McLanahan (Princeton University) Jeanne Brooks-Gunn (Columbia University)
Abstract
We use data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study with a cross-lagged longitudinal design to examine how couple relationship quality and parental engagement with children affect one another during the first three years of a child’s life for both married and unmarried parents who are living together. The sample includes 1,647 co-resident couples in urban areas (772 married and 875 unmarried at baseline). Mothers and fathers report about their couple relationship quality and parental engagement at both one and three years after their baby’s birth. Overall, we find that relationship quality leads to greater parental engagement for both mothers and fathers, consistent with previous research showing positive ‘spillover’ from marital quality to parenting. We find that married and cohabiting couples are generally similar in this respect, even though they differ in socio-demographic characteristics. We find that when couples are having their first birth, relationship quality is more strongly tied to engagement by fathers (but not mothers).
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing. in its series Working Papers with number
914.