Norma remarried a man with no children. Her friend Harriet married a man who will be co-parenting his children from his first marriage with his ex-spouse. How might this affect the marital satisfaction of these couples?

• A. Harriet's new husband will be a better father to her children.
• B. Norma and Harriet will both try to adopt children.
• C. Both couples will be equally satisfied with their new relationships.
• D. Norma and her husband will experience greater marital satisfaction.

Answer: (D)

The main idea is how parenting responsibilities and ongoing ex-spouse involvement influence how satisfied couples are in stepfamily situations. When Norma remarries a man with no children, the couple faces fewer parenting demands, fewer role negotiations about discipline and routines, and less coordination with an ex-spouse. That lighter parenting load and clearer boundaries let them invest more energy into each other and their relationship, which tends to boost marital satisfaction.

In Harriet’s situation, the husband will be co-parenting his children with his ex-spouse. This adds ongoing responsibilities, potential disagreements over parenting approaches, scheduling, and boundary issues, all of which can create stress and reduce harmony in the marriage. Because of these added complexities, Harriet’s couple is more likely to experience lower or more strained marital satisfaction compared to Norma’s.

So Norma and her husband are more likely to report greater marital satisfaction.