Parenting style in childhood and attitudes toward caregiving in adulthood: a qualitative study

Author ORCID Identifier

M. Courtney Hughes: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8699-5701

Publication Title

Home Health Care Services Quarterly

ISSN

01621424

E-ISSN

15450856

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This study aims to explore how relationships with parents during childhood can influence an individual’s attitude toward caregiving later in life. The qualitative data came from 47 respondents who care for adult loved ones, with a caregiver mean age of 46.7. The respondents reflected on their recent experience of providing care for their loved ones and how experiences with their caregivers growing up may have influenced their caregiving attitudes. Using a codebook thematic analysis, themes were generated linking childhood experiences to current attitudes toward caregiving. Themes included reciprocating good care, performing obligatory care, and stopping the generational transference of negative care. For most participants, providing quality care for adult loved ones happened regardless of whether the one’s childhood experiences with caregivers were positive or negative. Knowledge about the impact of childhood experiences can help health professionals develop interventions to support family caregivers that consider childhood experiences with parents.

Publication Date

1-1-2022

DOI

10.1080/01621424.2022.2118096

Keywords

adult children, Family caregiving, informal caregiving, life course perspective, parenting

Department

School of Health Studies; School of Family and Consumer Sciences

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