A phenomenologic investigation of pediatric residents’ experiences being parented and giving parenting advice

Abstract

Factors surrounding pediatricians’ parenting advice and training on parenting during residency have not been well studied. The primary purpose of this study was to examine pediatric residents’ self-reported experiences giving parenting advice and explore the relationship between parenting advice given and types of parenting residents received as children. Thirteen OUHSC pediatric residents were individually interviewed to examine experiences being parented and giving parenting advice. Phenomenological methods were used to explicate themes and secondary analyses explored relationships of findings based upon Baumrind’s parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, permissive). While childhood experiences were not specifically correlated to the parenting advice style of pediatric residents interviewed, virtually all reported relying upon childhood experiences to generate their advice. Those describing authoritative parents reported giving more authoritative advice while others reported more variable advice. Core interview themes related to residents’ parenting advice included anxiety about not being a parent, varying advice based on families’ needs, and emphasis of positive interactions and consistency. Themes related to how residents were parented included discipline being a learning process for their parents and recalling that their parents always had expectations, yet always loved them. Pediatric residents interviewed reported giving family centered parenting advice with elements of positive interactions and consistency, but interviews highlighted many areas of apprehension residents have around giving parenting advice. Our study suggests that pediatric residents may benefit from more general educational opportunities to develop the content of their parenting advice, including reflecting on any impact from their own upbringing.

Keywords:

• Parenting
• discipline
• pediatric residency training
• pediatrics-primary care

Acknowledgements

Our team thanks the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Science Center Department of Pediatrics for providing collaborative support and direct funding for this project through the Chairman’s Research Award, and we thank the U.S. Maternal Child Health Bureau Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics Fellowship funding that also made this project possible. We also appreciate Michael Anderson, PhD, for his assistance with the participant selection process and Beth Currier, PT, MS, PCS, for her contributions to the project analysis. We are quite grateful for the support of the OUHSC pediatric and medicine-pediatric residency programs and those residents who gave their time and effort as participants in this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the OUHSC Department of Pediatrics Chairman’s Research Award, which was awarded to the PI, and U.S. Maternal Child Health Bureau [grant number T77MC09799] which supported the PI’s Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics Fellowship salary.