‘Parents need to become independent problem solvers’: a critical reading of the current parenting culture through the case of Triple P

Abstract

This paper aims to contribute to recent critical work on the current parenting culture. It does so by a critical reading of the individual words/parts of the sentence ‘Parents need to become independent problem solvers’ – a characteristic phrase of ‘Triple P’, a parenting programme that has recently been implemented as a form of parenting support in a number of countries. The paper aims (1) to bring out and expose some of the worrying features of the current parenting culture, (2) criticise its narrow conceptions of what a parent is and what childrearing is, (3) by doing so give a sense of the oddness of implementing Triple P as a form of parenting support and, finally, (4) tentatively suggest alternative routes of thinking for and about childrearing as well as ‘grafting points’ to start reconstructing parenting support practices.

Keywords:

• parenting
• childrearing
• Triple P
• parent–child relationship
• professionalisation
• parenting support
• ethical encounter

Notes

^1. Though there are countless articles and websites that explain what these levels are about, the article by Sanders, Markie-Dadds, and Turner (2003) still remains the standard article to refer to. We will only briefly go into these levels, for descriptive purposes, and will draw on this article for this brief description.

^2. See http://www10.triplep.net/?pid = 9 for an overview. Interestingly, the translation of these principles (e.g. in Dutch) does not match with the set of ‘original’ principles on Triple P's homepages. See http://www29.triplep.net/?pid = 2082 for a comparison.

^3. Literal translation of ‘Positief opvoeden werkt!’