<b>Understanding the practice of parental skills in a single parent family headed by the father</b> - doi: 10.4025/cienccuidsaude.v10i3.11324

Abstract

Case study developed with the purpose of deepening the understanding concerning the practice of parental competences in a context of a single parent family consisting of father and child. Data was collected between March and July, through non-structured interviews, done with both members from the family and later submitted to thematic analysis. The results point to the challenges faced by the father when facing the practice and tasks concerning child raising; the priority necessities of the family according to both father and child points of view; the family resources to have a favorable environment for the children growth. The study illustrates the difficulties faced by the father in order to balance the social changes and the new values with the practice of parental competences. It is a problematic which extends beyond the family context, as old values co-exist in the social environment and influence people’s thoughts and attitudes, being, usually, expressed in prejudice, judgments and the marginalization of individuals, families or communities which have predominantly contemporary characteristics, such as a single-parent family led by the father.