The Marriage Relationship During the Transition to Parenthood

Most couples experience some disruption in their relationship when they have a first child. A number of theories account for this disruption: sociological theories, normative crisis theory, the Double ABCX theory, role conflict theory, and behavioral marriage therapy theory. Both research and clinically based theories describe the nature of marital problems to be expected during the transition to parenthood and delineate ways to cope with the problems. This article reviews major theoretical approaches and summarizes pertinent research concerning each theory. Finally, three critical variables are identified: disruption of time schedules, conflict over relationship rules, and adjustment of the couple prior to the transition. A model using these three variables, which may direct and organize both research and practice with troubled and untroubled couples, is proposed.