Paternity Leave and Parental Relationships: Variations by Gender and Mothers' Work Statuses

Abstract

Objective: This study examines the associations between paternity leave and parents' reports of relationship satisfaction and relationship conflict and whether the associations vary by parent gender and mothers' work statuses.

Background: Paternity leave research in the United States has focused on implications for father involvement, but paternity leave may also help to strengthen parental relationships by promoting a more equitable division of domestic labor. Given gender gaps in child care, the association between paternity leave and parental relationship outcomes may also vary by gender and mothers' work statuses.

Method: The sample consists of 4,700 couples (i.e., parent dyads) from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort. Multilevel models are used to assess the associations between paternity leave and both relationship satisfaction and conflict and whether these associations vary by gender and mothers' work statuses.

Results: Paternity leave-taking is positively associated with parents' reports of relationship satisfaction, but length of paternity leave is only positively associated with mothers' reports of relationship satisfaction. Also, among mothers who worked prior to the child's birth, paternity leave-taking and length of leave are negatively associated with their reports of relationship conflict. In contrast, among ‘mothers who did not work in paid labor prebirth, paternity leave is positively associated with mothers’ reports of relationship conflict.

Conclusion: Paternity leave may have implications for parental relationships (and especially mothers' perceptions of their relationships with fathers).