The Good Parent: Southern Italian Mothers’ Conceptualization of Good Parenting and Parent–Child Relationships

Abstract

Thirty mothers, ranging in age between 30 and 46 years, participated in seven focus groups aimed at analyzing perceptions and ideas of the characteristics of a good parent and parent–child relationship in southern Italy (Sicily). The discussions were transcribed and analyzed using the constant comparative analysis approach. Two major themes, discipline and affection, emerged from the discussions about the idea of a good parent, with seven further subthemes. In defining good parenting beliefs and practices, Sicilian mothers mostly believed that control, discipline, and demandingness were imperative and prioritized over warmth and responsiveness. Despite the importance given to demandingness, a good parent–child relationship was predominantly described as the result of a balance between love and control, mainly based on communication, confidence, and respect. Our findings were interpreted and discussed with consideration to the collectivistic and familistic nature of Sicilian society.