Only a good partner can become a perfect parent. Emphasizing this point, a new study found skills used in taking care of a partner were also helpful in parenthood.
To prove this theory, lead author of the study Abigail Millings of the University of Bristol and colleagues included 125 couples and their children aged between seven and eight. During the study, researchers examined three factors of their relationship - attachment between the couple, their parenting style and their "caregiving responsiveness", or awareness of a person about his/her partner's requirements.
"In romantic relationships and in parenting, this might mean noticing when the other person has had a bad day, knowing how to cheer them up, and whether they even want cheering up," Millings explained the concept, adding that it does not mean "just about picking you up when you're down, it's also about being able to respond appropriately to the good stuff in life."
The skills involved in "responsive caregiving" were found useful in maintaining healthy relationships both between couples and between parents and children.
"If you can do responsive caregiving, it seems that you can do it across different relationships," Millings said.
However, the researchers couldn't fully explain the factors that lead to this occurrence.
"It might be the case that practicing being sensitive and responsive - for example, by really listening and by really thinking about the other person's perspective - to our partners will also help us to improve these skills with our kids," she said. "But we need to do more research to see whether the association can actually be used in this way."
The results of the study have been published online in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
