Effective coparenting in stepfamilies: Empirical evidence of what works

• Published date: 01 July 2022
• Author: Lawrence Ganong,Caroline Sanner,Steven Berkley,Marilyn Coleman
• Date: 01 July 2022
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12607

RESEARCH

Effective coparenting in stepfamilies: Empirical

evidence of what works

Lawrence Ganong

1

|Caroline Sanner

2

|Steven Berkley

3

|

Marilyn Coleman

1

1

Human Development and Family Science, University of Missouri–Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA

2

Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA

3

Psychological Sciences, University of San Diego, San Diego, California, USA

Correspondence

Lawrence Ganong, Human Development and

Family Studies, 410 Gentry Hall, University of

Missouri–Columbia, Columbia, MO

65203, USA.

Email: ganongl@missouri.edu

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this review is to examine research

evidence about effective childrearing of stepchildren by

coparents in stepfamilies (i.e., childrearing that contributes

to children’s physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being).

Background: Childrearing after parental repartnering is

likely to involve coparenting within stepfamily households

(i.e., by parents and stepparents), across stepfamily house-

holds (i.e., by biological parent dyads), and a combination

of intra- and inter-household coparenting subsystems.

Effective coparenting of children in stepfamilies benefits

individual, relational, and stepfamily well-being and effec-

tive family functioning.

Method: We reviewed 58 studies in which empirical evi-

dence of effective childrearing of stepchildren by coparents

in stepfamilies was obtained.

Results: Children in stepfamilies fare better when

coparents work collaboratively in focusing on children’s

well-being, managing conflicts, being careful when com-

municating to children and to coparents, and keeping chil-

dren out of parental issues. Coparenting within stepfamily

households works when coparents agree on childrearing

rules and roles, communicate clearly, and engage in par-

enting styles that emphasize high warmth. Step-household

coparents also foster children’s well-being by creating

cohesive stepfamily dynamics and modifying expectations.

Few researchers studied coparental triads that include

both parents and a stepparent.

Received: 19 February 2021Accepted: 27 June 2021

DOI: 10.1111/fare.12607

© 2021 National Council on Family Relations.

918 Family Relations. 2022;71:918–934.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fare

Conclusions: Stepfamily members benefit from effective

coparenting.

Implications: Effective childrearing by stepfamily coparent

subsystems is complex, but a key is focusing on children’s

well-being.

KEYWORDS

childrearing, remarriage, stepchild, stepfamilies, stepparent, systematic

review

Diverse family histories and complex family structures mean that studying coparenting in step-

families is a challenging task. For example, in Stepfamily A, a never-married mother weds an

individual who had no children, whereas in Stepfamily B, a woman who had borne children in

three prior unions repartners with a person who had two children, one from each of two prior

relationships. Stepfamily C, somewhere in between these two in terms of complexity, is started

by a mother with two children from a prior marriage who remarries a person who also has two

children from a prior marriage. Each of these stepfamilies has somewhat different coparenting

subsystems. Stepfamily A has a biological coparenting dyad on the maternal side of the step-

family household, a parent–stepparent coparenting system in the household, and a coparenting

system that includes all the adults (total coparenting subsystems =three). Stepfamily B has

three biological coparenting dyads on the maternal side of the stepfamily household, two bio-

logical coparenting dyads on the paternal side, the parent–stepparent coparental subsystem in

the household, and up to five separate coparenting subsystems that include both parents and a

stepparent (potentially 11 separate coparenting subsystems). Finally, Stepfamily C likely has

two biological–parent coparenting subsystems, one for each adult in the stepfamily household,

a parent–stepparent household coparenting unit, and two more larger coparenting sub-

systems that contain biological parents on each side plus a stepparent (total coparenting

subsystems =five). If any of the repartnered stepfamily couples have a child together, then an

additional coparental subsystem is added. If the former partners of any of these adults also rep-

artner, then the number of coparental subsystems in which each stepfamily adult may be a

member increases further. Confused yet? It is no wonder that stepfamily members are often sur-

prised at their family’s complexity and, at times, overwhelmed by it (Visher & Visher, 1979).

Despite the complexity and research challenges presented, studying coparenting in stepfam-

ilies is important because effective childrearing has been shown to foster children’s well-being

and to benefit adults’well-being and relationships (Ganong & Coleman, 2017). In stepfamilies,

as in other family forms, effective childrearing is done not only by individual parents, steppar-

ents, and others, but by dyads and larger groups working together as coparenting teams.

The challenges to coparenting subsystems after separation and repartnering are substantial.

Divorced or never-married separated parents are faced with reconfiguring their relationships as

they reconceptualize how to be coparents while no longer in marital or romantic roles with each

other and living apart (Emery, 2012). This reconceptualizing and reconfiguring of roles is made

even more challenging because coparents may have different motivations to share childrearing

after divorce/separation, may have unresolved feelings toward each other, may be burdened

with anger and sadness about the ending of the romantic bond, and may be grieving the loss of

their union (Papernow, 2013). Couples divorce and separate for reasons that are important to

the partner(s) initiating the split, and these reasons (e.g., physical and psychological abuse, infi-

delity) often make it difficult for couples to continue to coparent productively or at all

(Emery, 2012).

Parent–stepparent dyads, in contrast, are confronted with learning how to coparent together

in vastly different circumstances. For instance, parents and children have ongoing relationships

EFFECTIVE COPARENTING IN STEPFAMILIES919