The Consequences of Multi-partnered Fertility for Parental Involvement and Relationships

Marcia Carlson and Frank Furstenberg, Jr.
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Marcia Carlson: Columbia University
Frank Furstenberg, Jr.: University of Pennsylvania

No 908, Working Papers from Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing.

Abstract: At the nexus of changing marital and fertility behavior is a new reality of contemporary family life -- the fact that a significant fraction of adults today (will) have biological children by more than one partner, sometimes called "multi-partnered fertility." In this paper, we use data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to explore the consequences of multi-partnered fertility for family relationships about three years after a baby's birth. We find that earlier parental obligations are strongly linked to the focal couple's relationship quality and their ability to co-parent effectively. Fathers' having previous children is particularly deleterious -- at least from mothers' perspectives. We discuss the implications of our findings for family roles in childrearing, the organization of kin networks, and current public policies.

Date: 2007-05
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