Co-parenting And Its Effects On Mothers’ Parental Stress And Children’ Development In Families Of Children With Disabilities

[Objectives]This research aims to investigate the current co-parenting status,influence factors on co-parenting quality and the effects that co-parenting quality has on mothers,parental stress as well as children’development in families of children with disabilities.Meanwhile the research compares the similarities and differences in co-parenting between families of children with and without disabilities.[Methods]Quantitative research:A survey is conducted on 132 mothers of children with disabilities and 143 mothers of children without disabilities by questionnaires.The questionnaire package includes the self-developed Co-parenting Status and Quality Questionnaire,the revised Parental Stress Scale and the parental version of Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.Qualitative research:In depth semi-structure interviews are conducted on 20 caregivers of children with disabilities and 16 caregivers of children without disabilities,using self-developed interview outline.[Conclusions]1.Co-parenting in families of children with disabilities shows a cooperation mode of"Mothers dominate,Grandparents assist and Fathers participate".Mothers,parenting focus on accompanying and teaching children,grandparents’ parenting focus on taking care of children’ daily life,while fathers’ parenting focus on paying for children’ education and basic living.2.Comparing to nonclinical families,grandparents play a more important role in the co-parenting process of children with disabilities.Grandparents of children with disabilities have a higher percentage of participation in co-parenting,spend longer time with grandchildren,involve more in grandchildren’ daily care,companion and pick-up,make more decisions when concerning grandchildren’ daily care.3.In the families of children with disabilities,grandparents’ co-parenting quality have an indirect effect on children’ development,through its influence on mothers,parental stress.Fathers’ co-parenting quality doesn’t have any direct or indirect effects on children’ development.Therefore,grandparents’co-parenting quality has a greater impact on children’ development in the families of children with disabilities.4.In the families of children with disabilities,fathers’ time spent with child can predicts fathers’ co-parenting quality positively while mothers’ time spent with child can predicts grandparents’ co-parenting quality positively.Therefore,we can improve co-parenting quality by increasing mother and fathers’ time spent on children.5.Co-parenting in families of children with disabilities presents as conflict,communication and support.Conflict in co-parenting mainly refers to grandparents’dissatisfaction on parents involvement in parenting activities,grandparents’ lack of rehabilitation awareness,discordance on life-styles,parenting practices and expectations of children between two generations.Support in co-parenting mainly refers to grandparents,help in rehabilitation and parenting,supplement to mothers’time and energy.Communication during co-parenting process will be affected by relationships between caregivers and have both-positive and negative results.6.Co-parenting has a great impact on mothers’ parenting feelings as well as children’development in families of children with disabilities.On one hand,mothers can rely on co-caregivers when they need comfort or understanding,but conflict and discordance between co-caregivers will bring stress to mothers and restrict mothers’parenting freedom sometimes.On the other hand,conflict and discordance during co-parenting process will also have a negative impact on children’ ability improvement,emotion development and rehabilitation results.