This symposium reviews the contributions of the New Parents Project, a multimethod, longitudinal study of family and child development, at its tenth anniversary, including four new projects. Paper 1 describes the characteristics of maternity and paternity leave in the sample, then examines whether leave predicts time in housework and childcare using time diary measures of maternal and paternal time. Paper 2 examines self-reported adult attachment as a predictor of observed parenting one year later. Paper 3 tests the associations between paternal stimulation and infant-father attachment security in the context of measures that are typically linked to attachment (i.e., sensitivity and intrusiveness). Paper 4 examines why some mothers reduced and others maintained their work hours, using data from both parents. The discussant is Dr. Maureen Perry-Jenkins.

Objectives

Participants will better understand links between work and family, specifically, 1) the link between maternal and paternal leave and housework and childcare, and 2) the reasons that women reduce or maintain their work hours after the transition to parenthood, as well as men’s perceptions of those reasons.Participants will gain knowledge about the role of adult attachment in parenting.Participants will learn about paternal parenting behaviors that foster secure infant-father attachment.