Parenting Styles, Coparenting, and Early Child Adjustment in Separated Families with Child Physical Custody Processes Ongoing in Family Court

Abstract

Coparenting conflict and triangulation after separation or divorce are associated with poorer child adjustment when parenting gatekeeping and conflict occur. Fewer studies reported psychosocial adjustment of children under three. We explored the effects of authoritarian and permissive parenting styles and negative coparenting on child adjustment in a purpose sample of 207 Portuguese newly separated/divorced parents (50.2% mothers/49.8% fathers) with sole or joint (49.8%/50.2%) physical custody processes ongoing in court. Parents filled out the Parenting Styles Questionnaire—Parents’ report, the Coparenting Questionnaire, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Parenting and coparenting moderations path analysis to predict child adjustment were tested for two groups (2/3-year-old child/>3-year-old-child) and showed a good fit, followed by multigroup path analysis with similarities. Findings suggest harsh parenting and interparental conflict and triangulation as predictors for poor early child adjustment. The ongoing custody process could contribute to increased interparental conflict. The families’ unique functioning, parenting, and conflict should be considered in young children custody decisions made in a particularly stressful period when the parental responsibilities’ process is still ongoing and conflict may increase to serve the best interest of the child and promote healthy development. Future directions and practical implications are discussed.

Positive coparenting previous to the COVID‐19 pandemic can buffer regulatory problems in infants facing the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Positive coparenting dimensions (e.g., parental cooperation and support) were found to enhance infant regulatory capacity, namely self‐soothing (Feinberg et al., 2009). Contrarily, negative coparenting dimensions (e.g., parental conflict and undermining) were found to be negatively associated with infant development, specifically regulatory capacity (Feinberg et al., 2009; Pires & Martins, 2021; Teubert & Pinquart, 2010).…”

Healing the Separation in High-Conflict Post-divorce Co-parenting

“…Co-parenting or how parents work together regarding childrearing tasks is an important determinant of the quality of parent-child relationships, positive child adjustment, and the quality of extended family relationships in post-divorce family contexts (Petren et al, 2017). Likewise, co-parenting relationship quality is one of the most powerful factors in explaining June 2022 | Volume 13 | Article 913447 Stolnicu et al Healing the Separation in HC Post-divorce Co-parenting families' psychosocial adjustment after marital breakdown (Pires and Martins, 2021). Consequently, low interparental conflict is recognized as an important protective factor that enhances children to cope better with their parents' divorce (Karela and Petrogiannis, 2018).…”

“…Co-parenting or how parents work together regarding childrearing tasks is an important determinant of the quality of parent–child relationships, positive child adjustment, and the quality of extended family relationships in post-divorce family contexts ( Petren et al, 2017 ). Likewise, co-parenting relationship quality is one of the most powerful factors in explaining families’ psychosocial adjustment after marital breakdown ( Pires and Martins, 2021 ).…”

Pengaruh Dukungan Mantan Suami, Strategi Koping, dan Relasi Orang Tua-Anak terhadap Kebahagiaan Keluarga Tunggal

“…Dukungan mantan suami merupakan salah satu aspek yang dapat membuat mantan istri dan anak merasa dipedulikan, dan ditolong ketika menghadapi masalah yang berkaitan dengan anak (Sarafino & Smith, 2017). Sayangnya, peran mantan suami dalam memberikan dukungan jauh lebih sedikit jika dibandingkan dengan peran ibu (Pires & Martins, 2021). Hal tersebut dapat disebabkan karena anak tinggal bersama ibu dan mantan suami tidak memiliki waktu yang cukup untuk anak serta tidak memiliki pengetahuan yang memadai terkait pengasuhan (Bastaits & Mortelmans, 2017;Beckmeyer, Markham, & Troilo, 2019).…”