In contemporary society, fewer adults marry than in previous generations. It is also true that there have been increases in the number of non-marital births. The combination of these demographic trends mean that large numbers of fathers live apart from their children and are at risk for disengagement as a result of the conflict that characterizes many co-parenting relationships. In response, there is a burgeoning literature examining interventions aimed at improving co-parenting cooperation and reducing conflict. To further examine these issues, the purpose of this study was to give voice to custodial mothers enrolled in a co-parenting intervention to share their experiences and perspectives on their relationships with their children’s fathers and to offer their opinion regarding the most impactful components of the intervention. In-depth qualitative data were collected from 55 custodial mothers participating in focus groups and follow up individual interviews. Data analysis revealed that many of the mothers reported improvements in their co-parenting relationships over time. The absence or presence of empathy also emerged as a salient factor in shaping the mothers’ co-parenting experiences, a finding that may have implications for practitioners and researchers interested in the dynamics of family functioning.

在当代社会，结婚的成年人比前几代人少。同样真实的是，非婚生育的人数有所增加。这些人口趋势的结合意味着大量父亲与孩子分开居住，并且由于许多共同养育关系所特有的冲突而面临脱离接触的风险。作为回应，有大量文献研究旨在改善共同养育合作和减少冲突的干预措施。为了进一步研究这些问题，本研究的目的是让参与共同养育干预的监护母亲发表意见，以分享她们与孩子父亲关系的经验和观点，并就共同养育干预中最有影响力的部分发表意见。干涉。从参加焦点小组的 55 名监护母亲那里收集了深入的定性数据，并进行了个别访谈。数据分析显示，随着时间的推移，许多母亲报告说他们的共同养育关系有所改善。同理心的缺失或存在也成为塑造母亲共同养育经历的一个重要因素，这一发现可能对对家庭功能动态感兴趣的从业者和研究人员产生影响。