The Family that Plays Together Fares Better

Abstract The purpose of this analysis was to examine the contribution of shared family time to family resilience following divorce. Based on interviews with parents, adolescents and stepparents from 51 families, shared family time served three overarching adaptive functions: (1) communal coping; (2) relationship maintenance; and (3) as a context for growth-oriented change. Study participants emphasized how relatively enjoyable shared family activities were critical to their efforts to jointly cope with immediate Stressors and to maintain or rebuild a sense of family following changes in their family structure.

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