Coparenting Along Child Development: Stability and Change from 1st to 6th Year of Child’s Life

Coparenting is defined as the sharing of parenting, for example, in aspects such as division of household chores, responsibilities, leadership and support in relation to parental roles. This study sought to identify possible changes in the exercise of coparenting in different moments of child development, examining two families and comparing two different times: the first and sixth years of the child’s life. In both periods interviews about the experience of parenthood and the marital relationship were conducted with fathers and mothers, aiming to understand coparenting. The results indicated that some characteristics of coparenting tend to persist over time, while others may change in the course of child development, according to the different needs and abilities of the child.