This study examined the change in the attitudes of husbands and wives along the stages of infantile development. Three aspects were mainly investigated: a) affection toward children, b) parental involvement in child-rearing, and c) anxiety over child-rearing. A longitudinal questionnaire study was conducted on the sample of 97 couples in their first-time parenthood during the transition from pregnancy to three years of postpartum. The results of the study suggest that the affection toward children declined on the part of both parents, and parental involvement became more strict rather than gentle in accordance with the infantile development. There was more anxiety over child-rearing by mothers, while there was only insignificant difference between fathers and mothers in terms of affection toward children. The above observations were further discussed from the viewpoint of various stages of infantile development; notable changes on the part of parents were discussed particularly in the crucial stage of upbringing.
