Moderating Effects of Marital Fondness & Admiration and Father’s Child Rearing Involvement on the Association between Parenting Stress and Marital Satisfaction: Comparison of Unemployed and Employed Mothers

Abstract

This study investigated the moderating effects of marital fondness and admiration as well as the father’s involvement in child rearing on the association between parenting stress and marital satisfaction for a comparison of unemployed and employed mothers. The subjects were 159 unemployed mothers and 103 employed mothers with children under 3 years of age. The major findings of this study were as follows. First, unemployed mothers who had a lower level of marital fondness and admiration were dissatisfied with their marriage when they had higher parenting stress. Marital fondness and admiration are necessary for unemployed mothers in their transition period to parents. Especially, it is important for fathers to understand challenging conditions and encourage and support the spouse. However, there was no moderating effect of the father’s involvement in child rearing in the association between parenting stress and marital satisfaction. Second, employed mothers who had a lower level of father’s involvement in child rearing were dissatisfied with their marriage when they had higher parenting stress. The father’s involvement in child rearing is necessary for employed mothers in their transition period to parents. Furthermore, it is important to implement policies at the national level to support childcare hours for balanced work and life. However, there was no moderating effect of marital fondness and admiration for the association between parenting stress and marital satisfaction. Keywords: parenting stress, marital satisfaction, fondness and admiration, father’s involvement