Supporting positive parenting and resiliency in a guided peer group for parents

Authors

• Kaija Rautaparta-Pennanen Jyväskylän yliopisto, Kasvatustieteiden tohtoriohjelma, Kasvatustieteiden ja psykologian tiedekunta
• Marjatta Kekkonen Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos
• Kaija Collin Jyväskylän yliopisto. Kasvatustieteiden laitos
• Marja Leena Böök Jyväskylän yliopisto. Kasvatustieteiden laitos
• Anna Rönkä Jyväskylän yliopisto. Kasvatustieteiden laitos

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30675/sa.107618

Keywords:

parenting support, resilience, positive education, social pedagogy

Abstract

This case study applied the PERMA well-being theory of Seligman (2011) to examine family workers’ descriptions of how parenting and resilience can be supported as part of a guided mother-child peer group in the context of low-threshold family services
for families experiencing challenges in for example coping with everyday life.
Employees (N = 2) kept semi-structured diaries in which they reported their views on their own practices and interactions with mothers and children during group meetings over three periods and were pair-interviewed with at the beginning and end of the study period. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis. Four ways of strengthening parenting were identified: arranging joint activities, encouraging and identifying strengths, creating a positive atmosphere, and promoting closeness. The employees’ social pedagogical orientation was manifested in their efforts to promote positive interaction with the parents, build a good  atmosphere, and seek educational opportunities for parents in their daily practices. The results provide new insights into work practices that can strengthen parents’ resilience in low-threshold encounters at the family centre.