A number of themes emerged pertaining to developmental patterns in parenting roles. Younger
children highlighted parental activities such as providing sustenance, protection and basic care
to their children, and sharing activities with their children. Providing practical assistance with
schoolwork and support in learning new skills were also important.
n In contrast, older children emphasised the importance of parental guidance, emotional support
and authority. The parents’ role in facilitating autonomy and independence was also emphasised
within the adolescent groups. Adolescent descriptions of ‘parents as guides’ reflected values and
expectations that were important to parents, such as getting a good education, being mannerly
and knowing right from wrong.
n Parent and child roles were perceived as changing over time, with dependence upon parents
decreasing with children’s increasing age. In the context of adolescents’ need for autonomy and
independence, parenting at this stage brought novel challenges for regulation and control of
behaviour at a time when the likelihood of risk-taking behaviour may be heightened.
n Children’s experience of parenting did not reflect genderless practices in all families. Certain
aspects of the parenting role were more closely aligned to either mothers or fathers. Child
effects were also identified, with boys and girls evoking different types of interactions with
their parents (such as distinct monitoring and regulating activities) and parents engaging in
distinct activities with their sons and daughters.