Interdependencies among interparental discord and parenting practices: The role of adult vulnerability and relationship perturbations

We examined the nature and directionality of associations between interparental discord and parenting practices in a sample of 227 mothers and fathers of kindergarten children over two measurement waves spaced 1 year apart. Cross-lagged models indicated that associations between interparental discord and maternal and paternal parenting practices (i.e., acceptance, discipline) were generally negligible with one exception: interparental discord at Time 1 predicted decreases in maternal acceptance from Time 1 to Time 2. However, consistent with the family systems conceptualization of the family as an open system, prospective associations among interparental and parent–child subsystems varied significantly as a function of parental depressive symptoms, interparental relationship insecurity, and child-rearing disagreements. The moderating role of adult characteristics commonly varied across the type of adult vulnerability (e.g., depressive symptoms, interparental relationship insecurity, child-rearing disagreements), dimension of parenting practices (e.g., maternal and paternal acceptance and inconsistent discipline), and the directionality of the paths between interparental and parent–child subsystems.This research was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (Project R01 MH 57318) awarded to Patrick T. Davies and E. Mark Cummings. Melissa L. Sturge–Apple was supported by a postdoctoral National Research Service Award from the National Institute of Mental Health (F32 MH 66596). The authors are grateful to the children, parents, teachers, and school administrators who participated in this project. Gratitude is also expressed to the staff who assisted with the project, including Courtney Forbes, Marcie Goeke–Morey, Amy Keller, Michelle Sutton, and the graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Rochester and the University of Notre Dame.

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