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Study: Baby bedtime disagreements can lead to divorce

On Behalf of | Aug 21, 2017 | Alimony/Spousal Support |

There is perhaps no more wonderful feeling in the world than holding your baby in your arms. Whether you are a mother or a father, that feeling is one of life’s great rewards.

While there are many similarly satisfying moments that are part of being a parent, it is also true that having a baby can be stressful on parents. Most new parents lose sleep in those first few months, which can add to worries about the baby’s health and happiness, and related matters.

New research shows that disagreements between parents about their baby’s bedtime can also cause deep tensions that can sometimes lead to separation and divorce. Parents can also disagree sharply over how to tend to their infant’s nighttime crying, a study published in the Journal of Family Psychology states.

Researchers said that mothers of new babies generally have stronger opinions than fathers about how to care for a crying baby. Because mothers are often the more active parent during the night, disagreements can cause them to feel a lack of support for their parenting decisions that can in turn create a rift in the parenting relationship.

While mothers often have stronger opinions about how to tend for a crying baby at night, the opinions of both mothers and fathers tend to become less sharply defined as their child gets older, the study found.

Disagreements over parenting can sometimes reveal fundamental philosophical differences between parents. And those exposed differences can trigger reexamination of the relationship and sometimes lead to divorce — where disagreements can become even more pronounced.

You can protect your child and yourself in child custody and child support disputes. Contact the Law Office of Cheryl Bucker, P.A., in Pompano Beach for more information.