Transition to Parenthood

Abstract

The transition to parenthood is one of the sharpest developmental curves in the lifespan. New parents must negotiate a number of key tasks during this time, including creating a bond with their child, incorporating parenthood into their self‐concept, negotiating significant relationship changes, and building new peer support networks. There is a robust literature exploring relationship changes and the identification and treatment of psychological disorder during the transition to parenthood. Areas of interest for future research include fathers' experiences, LGBTQI families, cross‐cultural comparisons, and the impact of new technologies.