The influence of a parenting intervention on the parenting knowledge and behaviour of parents in Malawi

Abstract

Parenting in Malawi is defined by a division of roles for mothers and fathers, where mothers take care of the children, and fathers provide income for the family. Factors like poverty and teenage pregnancies make parenting difficult for parents in Malawi. Because of this, a parenting intervention called the Parenting Challenge has been developed to support parents in gaining parenting knowledge and skills to assist them with parenting regardless of their circumstances. This research investigated the influence of this parenting intervention on the parenting knowledge and behaviour of parents in Malawi. Interviews have been conducted with twenty parents who participated in the sessions. In addition, the sessions were observed to explore how the intervention influenced parenting knowledge and behaviour. Findings revealed that the Parenting Challenge influences the communication between partners, which relates to other findings in the study. After taking part in the sessions, parents mentioned that they are now able to control their emotions, and no longer involve children in conflict. In addition, the intervention influenced how parents discipline their children, which for some parents led to using less physical discipline. The intervention does increase the knowledge of parents on providing for the physical needs for their children, but only a small amount of parents mentioned they changed their behaviour accordingly. Recommendations are provided to further develop the Parenting Challenge, such as including sessions on business management and agriculture, so that parents can generate income to provide for their families and take care of their children.