<\/p>\n
When parents work well together as a team \u2013\u00a0<\/span>known as\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>coparenting<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u2013<\/span>\u00a0fathers tend to be more involved in caring for the children<\/span>, according to a\u00a0<\/span>new study<\/span>\u00a0of\u00a0<\/span>disadvantaged parents<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the USA.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It is easy to understand why positive\u00a0<\/span>coparenting<\/span>\u00a0could promote more father engagement<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>why\u00a0<\/span>more father engagement could promote a better parental relationship.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>This finding\u00a0<\/span>suggests that when it comes to help with\u00a0<\/span>rais<\/span>ing<\/span>\u00a0young children<\/span>, it\u2019s important to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>support both<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>mothers and fathers. A\u00a0<\/span>federal\u00a0<\/span>program<\/span>\u00a0in the USA<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>which began in 2005,\u00a0<\/span>provides exactly this kind of support among low<\/span>–<\/span>income families. The study of\u00a0<\/span>coparenting\u00a0<\/span>and father engagement was part of the evaluation of this program.<\/span><\/p>\n Whilst\u00a0<\/span>coparenting<\/span>\u00a0and father engagement are linked for all fathers in the \u2018here and now\u2019, the study also found\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>link across time.\u00a0<\/span>Resident fathers were more likely to be<\/span>active<\/span>ly<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>involve<\/span>d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in care\u00a0<\/span>when\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>child\u00a0<\/span>was<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>36 months old if both\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>mother and\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>father report<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0better\u00a0<\/span>coparenting<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>when the child was\u00a0<\/span>15<\/span>\u00a0months old<\/span>. This link was not found among non-resident fathers, perhaps because the<\/span>ir<\/span>\u00a0inconsistent presence means that what happens at one time point in the family\u00a0<\/span>has less effect on what\u00a0<\/span>happens at another.<\/span><\/p>\n The link between\u00a0<\/span>coparenting<\/span>\u00a0and later father involvement was not found in relation to fathers\u00a0<\/span>playing<\/span>\u00a0more with children<\/span>\u2014p<\/span>erhaps because fathers may engage in\u00a0<\/span>play\u00a0<\/span>regardless of the quality of the\u00a0<\/span>coparenting<\/span>\u00a0relationship with the mother.<\/span><\/p>\n In the study, involving 1,908 families, mothers and fathers were interviewed by phone when their child was 15 months old and again when 36 months old. Fathers were\u00a0<\/span>classified\u00a0<\/span>as\u00a0<\/span>resident if they lived with the mother most or all of the time, and non-resident if none or only some of the time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Coparenting<\/span>\u00a0was measured with ratings like \u201cMy child\u2019s other parent and I communicate well about our child\u201d and \u201cI feel good about my child\u2019s other parent\u2019s judgment about what is right for our child.\u201d Both parents<\/span>\u2019<\/span>\u00a0responses were combined into a single measure of\u00a0<\/span>coparenting<\/span>\u00a0quality.<\/span><\/p>\n Involvement in caring was measured by asking fathers how\u00a0<\/span>often<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>they did things like dress\u00a0<\/span>and feed\u00a0<\/span>the child<\/span>\u00a0or<\/span>\u00a0change diapers. Engagement in play covered activities such as singing, reading, telling stories and playing games.<\/span><\/p>\n The study contributes to our growing understanding of how complex family systems operate, with different relationships influencing each other.<\/span><\/p>\n