Characteristic of Relationship Dynamics between Parents One Year After Birth from the Perspective of Mothers

Abstract

The research aimed to clarify the relationship between fathers and mothers for a year from the birth of their children from the mothers’ perspectives. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 mothers, who were within one year from childbirth, and analyzed the results, using M-GTA. The mothers felt <the limitation of their role in life> due to <their lives being prioritized by child-raising>. The mothers after childbirth thought they were 【conducting a child-orientated life】, whereas they deemed the fathers were 【conducting a self-centered life】. They also deemed the fathers were <passive> and felt <indignant about the fathers’ attitude towards the children>. The mothers had tried to persuade the fathers to be 【ideal fathers】 for them. The mothers’ approaches to getting the fathers to <help with house work and child-raising> and to <raise awareness of being fathers> could be defined as 【a relationship where the mother is leading the father】. The mothers became conscious about <(seeking) a stable marital relationship> and eventually deemed the fathers to be <building a life together> rather than being <passive> fathers. As a result, it has become clear that the relationship between father and mother changes from a mother-leading type to a cooperative type.