Three studies of parenting time: evidence of harm and protection

I will present findings from three new studies of parenting time.
1. Infant Overnights:: When children were under 1 year of age, as well as when they were 2, more overnights with fathers up to and including 50% of overnights at both parents’ homes were associated with better long-term mother-child and father-child relationships in college, after controlling for parent conflict, disagreement about overnights, and education; parenting time in later years; and children’s sex and age at separation.
2. Relocation: Using a community sample of children living more than 50% time with mothers and stepfathers, we found that relocation of either biological parent before adolescence predicted serious behavior problems including delinquency; anxiety and depression symptoms; and disturbed relationships with non-residential fathers as well as with residential mothers and step-fathers in adolescence and young adulthood, after controlling for mother-stepfather conflict and domestic violence; mother-biological father relationship quality; and mothers’ family income.
3. Parenting Time and Parent Conflict. In high conflict families, moderate amounts of parenting time with fathers were associated with long-term painful feelings about the divorce in college, but at 50% parenting time those painful feelings were greatly reduced. Using a community sample and a longitudinal design, we found that low to moderate amounts of parenting time in early adolescence likely caused harm to the father-child relationship 3 years later, whereas relationships were preserved at 50% parenting time. Examining parenting time from these three perspectives reveals a consistent picture of benefits resulting from equal parenting time and harm due to moderate and low amounts of parenting time with fathers. By affecting so many children, parenting time is a major public health issue.