What Motivates Mothers to Apply a Positive Parenting Approach? A Qualitative Study

Few studies to date have explored the perceptions of parents about positive parenting in general, and none have examined parents’ motivation to apply a positive parenting approach. Consequently, the aim of this study was to explore what motivates parents to apply a positive parenting approach. Participants were recruited in South Africa by means of non-probability purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain the perspectives of sixteen mothers who identified themselves as positive parents. Participants responded to the following open-ended question: “What motivates you to apply a positive parenting approach?” After a thematic analysis, the following four categories (with themes and subthemes) emerged from the data: It is who I am, It just works, Gaining knowledge through learning and resources, and The importance of social support. The findings of the study may be utilised in interventions to encourage parents to adopt a positive parenting approach and may provide guidance on how to maintain these parenting skills to empower themselves and their children. Keywords: authoritative parenting, child-centred, mothers’ perspective, motivation, positive parenting

Developmental psychology · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Early Childhood Education and Development · Psychology · Social Psychology