Centering Parent Voice: Exploring Parents' Needs Using Online Parenting Information

Background/Purpose. Parenting is the primary mechanism of socializing children. Parenting knowledge, skills, and efficacy are protective factors for reducing instances of child abuse and neglect (Ridings et al., 2017; Sanders et al., 2018) and promoting children's emotional, social, and cognitive competencies (NASEM, 2016). Although evidence-based parenting programs produce positive desired results, their effectiveness is limited by parents' low participation rates. Several studies have found that enrollment in parenting programs is low, ranging from 20-30% (Eisner & Meidert, 2011; Heinrichs et al., 2005). Of those who enroll, only 50% complete the intervention (Morawska & Sanders, 2006). Despite parents' low participation in parenting programs, parents are engaging with online parenting content (Duggan et al., 2015). It is unknown the extent to which centering parents' needs would enhance parent participation. To begin addressing this gap, this study explores (Q1) What parenting content do parents value online? and (Q2) What are the similarities and differences in content across mother-centric and father-centric groups?

Methods. Data come from three prominent parenting forums (r/Parenting, 4.9 million members; r/Mommit, 697k members; r/Daddit, 524k members) on Reddit, a social news and web content discussion platform. Using the three forums' self-moderated built-in voting system, submissions were filtered for the "Top" posts of "All Time." The top ten posts and five comments associated with each post (N=180) were manually extracted between 2/2019 and 7/2022. Posts were excluded if they were non-English, non-textual (e.g., images), consisting of only a URL, or advertisements. Content analysis was used to analyze data using theoretical models of parenting (e.g., positive parenting). The primary rater coded deductively and added inductive codes iteratively. A second-rater coded a random sample of the data (O'Connor & Joffe, 2020), achieving "good" agreement (Pooled Cohen's Kappa=0.80; Landis & Koch, 1977).

Results. Overall, parents across the three forums discussed parenting successes and challenges and sought parenting advice or support. Successes included positive communication strategies with their teenagers, providing safe and engaging environments for their children, and addressing societal or familial judgment of their parenting approaches. Challenges were related to grief/loss, gendered societal norms, and mental health struggles. The mother-centric group discussed experiencing and overcoming judgment, gender roles, and unaligned parent-school expectations. In comparison, the father-centric group prioritized discussing the grief/loss of their child or spouse and the challenges of single fatherhood. Interactions between the original poster and commenters were positive and supportive. Parents validated each other through shared experiences, praised their parenting decisions, and consoled each other in times of grief or disappointment.

Conclusions/Implications. Parents utilize online parenting forums to share and seek experiences from other parents across various parenting topics not typically addressed in evidence-based parenting programs. Elevating parent voice by exploring the parenting topics they value online can inform future programming. Given that mother-centric and father-centric groups highlight different content, it is necessary to consider group-specific interventions. This parent-centered approach to program design can potentially improve parent engagement in learning positive parenting practices to reduce child maltreatment, promote child well-being, and ensure the healthy development of children.