Parenting Concerns: Uncovering Barriers and Identifying Ways to Support Pre-teen Flourishing

Abstract

Parenting capacity and family factors are positively correlated with children’s flourishing. The purpose of this research is to describe parents’ everyday concerns in caring for their children, to uncover barriers to pre-teen flourishing, and to identify ways to support pre-teen flourishing. The research method for this qualitative study was interpretive phenomenology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants in their homes. In this study, participants’ stories revealed barriers to pre-teen flourishing, including shifting expectations around their children’s independence and their children’s exposure to digital environments. Study participants’ stories also revealed that creating new daily routines and participating in traditional activities were the background that supported parents in helping their pre-teen children flourish. Researchers should use these findings as sources of insight to positively impact pre-teen flourishing as they seek contemporary ways to support parents, evaluate pre-teen child outcomes, and create interventions and social policies that aid parents in raising healthy pre-teen children.