And while mothers» violated division of labor expectations have been linked to
declines in relationship satisfaction across (Ruble et al., 1988), our findings suggest that the greatest positive impact in relationship satisfaction is seen when mothers» expectations are exceeded not so much when they are unfulfilled.
In a recent meta - analysis (i.e., a study that statistically combines similar results from numerous other studies), researchers examined evidence of the effects of attachment on long - term relationships across 31 published studies.4 The researchers wanted to know whether having an insecure attachment style might exert additional influence on the
typical decline in relationship satisfaction over time, by making that decline even steeper as time goes on.
The restriction of freedom in the early parenting years may be a particular important mechanism underlying the
steep decline in relationship satisfaction among parents of children aged two years or lower (Twenge et al. [2003]; Nelson et al. [2014]-RRB-.
Longitudinal studies (e.g. Doss et al., 2009; Lawrence et al., 2008) show that new parents experience
sharp declines in relationship satisfaction, whereas couples without children do not show these declines during the same time period.
Research shows that
decline in relationship satisfaction after the birth is very common, occurring in an estimated two - thirds or more of couples; and that the best predictor of each parent's adjustment to parenthood is the other parent's adjustment.
A staggering 67 percent of couples in the study reported
a decline in relationship satisfaction after the arrival of the first baby.
In fact, 70 % of parenting couples report
a decline in relationship satisfaction after the birth of their first child.
Comparing couples with and without children, researchers found that the rate of
the decline in relationship satisfaction is nearly twice as steep for couples who have children than -LSB-...]
The birth of a couple's first child signals
a decline in relationship satisfaction for two out of every three couples.
According to Dr. Gottman's research, 67 percent of couples reported
a decline in relationship satisfaction after the arrival of the first baby.
A staggering 67 % of couples in the study reported
a decline in relationship satisfaction after the arrival of the first baby.
Not surprisingly, 67 % of couples experience
a decline in relationship satisfaction in the first three years of the baby's life.
Research from the Bringing Baby Home program developed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman shows that almost 2/3 of couples report
a decline in relationship satisfaction up to three years after having a baby.
But there is a glimmer of hope: not all new parents experience
a decline in relationship satisfaction.
While it's true that many couples face
a decline in relationship satisfaction when they become parents, there are also couples whose relationships maintain strength, and even improve during parenthood [1].
Comparing couples with and without children, researchers found that the rate of
the decline in relationship satisfaction is nearly twice as steep for couples who have children than for childless couples.
These kinds of statistics can pit children against the marriage, but
this decline in relationship satisfaction doesn't have to be the case.
A staggering 67 percent of couples in the study reported
a decline in relationship satisfaction after the arrival of the first baby.
Thus, perhaps
the decline in relationship satisfaction often reported by new parents is not only caused by the strains of parenthood, but also by a return to the base rates of relationship satisfaction, similar to those of women who did not become pregnant.
However, in support of the argument that children affect a couple's relationship, Doss et al. (2009) conducted an eight year study in which they found that couples who had children had a more sudden
decline in their relationship satisfaction following the birth of their first child which persisted through the study, as compared to couples who had not yet had children who showed a more gradual decline in their relationship satisfaction.
On average most mothers show
a decline in their relationship satisfaction across the transition to parenthood.
The purpose of this research was to explore the theoretical assumption that if a mother's expectations of her partner are not fulfilled, she will experience
a decline in relationship satisfaction despite the reduction in role strain afforded her by maternal leave to care for her child.
The transition to parenthood has been consistently associated with
a decline in relationship satisfaction both in the United States (Elek & Hudson, 2003; Lawrence et al., 2007) and internationally, including China (Lu, 2006), Norway (Lorensen et al., 2004), Finland (Salmela - Aro et al., 2006), Sweden, (Mӧller et al., 2008), Netherlands (Meijer & van den Wittenboer, 2007), and Denmark (Trillingsgaard et al., 2011).