In my master's thesis, I am investigating on how different parenting strategies in various
situations relate to the development of taking responsibility in children and adolescents. In the
theoretical framework, I begin by defining upbringing and its various aspects (intentionality of
the parenting process, authority, and parenting styles), and outlined the importance of
responsibility. Subsequently, I presented the fundamental characteristics of childhood
developmental stages, with emphasis on Kohlberg's theory of moral development and Selman's
theory of social perspective-taking. Later I focused on family and parenthood, exploring the
role of parents in teaching their children responsibility through four situations (school
responsibilities, household chores, leisure time, and autonomy). This section was supplemented
with significant insights from theories that can help parents and professionals in selecting
appropriate parenting behaviours (consideration of the child's voice, dimensions and styles of
parenting, learning theories, setting boundaries, and managing conflicts). Finally, I discussed
multigenerational and youth centres and their contribution to the upbringing and learning of
responsibility in children and adolescents.
In the empirical part of my master’s thesis, I examined the upbringing strategies used by parents
in various everyday situations to promote responsible behaviour in children and adolescents.
My focus encompasses the perspectives of both, the children and adolescents, as well as their
parents. I conducted interviews with nine children and adolescents attending the
multigenerational centre ‘Skupna točka’, while their parents completed surveys. I explored their
views on upbringing strategies and analysed the effectiveness of these strategies in stimulating
responsible behaviour. Additionally, I explored the preferred forms of support and help that
both, parents and their children, want from the multigenerational centre ‘Skupna točka’. The
results indicated that adolescents in comparison to children expect different upbringing
strategies, but their wishes and needs are not often acknowledged by their parents. Individuals
who do not take responsibility in various situations are subjected to inappropriate upbringing
strategies that fail to consider their socio-cognitive and moral development. Children who
accept responsibility in advance in certain situations generally agree with their parents'
strategies, though some wish their parents would be more attentive to their wants and needs.
The greatest challenge parents face in encouraging responsibility among their children and
adolescents pertain to household chores. Both parents and their children also provided several
ideas and suggestions for forms of support and help they would like to be implemented at the
multigenerational centre. The information gathered can serve as a foundation and guidelines for
professionals in both, educational and social work fields, in providing appropriate support to
children and adolescents and their parents.
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