Relationship Churning and Parenting Stress Among Mothers and Fathers

Bibliographic Data

ID2286751
AuthorsSarah Halpern-Meekin (0000-0002-2142-5097, University of Wisconsin–Madison, corresponding author), Sarah Halpern‐meekin (University of Wisconsin–Madison), K Turney (0000-0003-4642-3490, University of California, Irvine)
Year2016
Volume78
Issue3
Pages715-729
Publication date2016-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Marriage and the Family (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-2445 • E-ISSN: 1741-3737
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/jomf.12297
PMID30174340
OpenAlexW2305888074
LanguageEN
Citations received37
References cited40

Researchers have documented the consequences of relationship instability for parenting stress but have given little attention to within-partner relationship instability. In this study, the authors used data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 3,544) to estimate the association between within-partner relationship instability (known as churning or on-again/off-again relationships) and parenting stress. First, they found that by the focal child's 5th birthday about 16% of biological parents experience churning. Second, compared to being stably together with or stably separated from the child's other parent, churning is associated with greater parenting stress for both mothers and fathers. Because parenting stress is the same or higher among churners compared to their counterparts who stably separate, this suggests that, more than a change in partner, relationship instability-whether within or across relationships-is tied to parenting stress

Churning · Developmental psychology · Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study · Instability · Positive relationship · Stress (linguistics · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Intimate Partner and Family Violence · Psychology · Social Psychology