Peer-reviewed article
Parenting and stimulation for child development at home: perspectives from Nurturing Care
Jeniffer Stephanie Marques Hilário, Letícia Pancieri, Regina Aparecida Garcia de Lima, Elsa Melo, Débora Falleiros de Mello ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This qualitative study examined how mothers in Brazil and Portugal care for and stimulate children under one year old at home, using the Nurturing Care framework as an analytical lens. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 27 mothers and identified key parenting practices including play, socializing with other children, screen exposure, and occasional book reading. The study found that maternal practices partially aligned with Nurturing Care domains around responsive caregiving and early learning, though uncertainties remained about discipline, early childhood education, and parental understanding of development. The findings highlight both strengths and gaps in home care environments and suggest the Nurturing Care framework could help guide nursing support in primary health care.
Key points
- Maternal parenting practices included interaction, play activities, socialization with other children, and early screen exposure
- Paternal participation was relatively limited in the observed parenting practices
- Mothers showed uncertainties regarding setting limits, early childhood education enrollment, and their understanding of child development
- Maternal practices partially aligned with Nurturing Care domains of responsive caregiving, early learning opportunities, and child security
- The Nurturing Care framework offers useful analytical domains for assessing child care quality in home contexts within primary health care
Limitations
This qualitative study relied on maternal self-report from interviews, which may not capture actual parenting practices objectively. The findings are based on 27 mothers from two countries and may not be generalizable to other populations or contexts.
Abstract
to analyze maternal parenting practices aimed at the development of children under one year of age in the home context, from the perspective of the Nurturing Care framework. a qualitative study, grounded in philosophical hermeneutics and the conceptual approach of Nurturing Care. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 mothers, followed by inductive thematic analysis. maternal parenting practices involved interaction and engagement in play activities with the child, socialization with other children, early exposure to screens, relative paternal participation, and occasional book reading. Uncertainties emerged regarding setting limits, early childhood education enrollment, and perceptions of child development. The findings indicated a partial interrelation with Nurturing Care domains related to responsive caregiving, opportunities for early learning, and child security and safety. maternal parenting practices, analyzed through the lens of the Nurturing Care framework, reflected the child's care environment, highlighting both strengths and vulnerabilities in promoting child development in the home context. The Nurturing Care domains are useful for child care within Primary Health Care, reinforcing the relevance of parental responsiveness and the child's daily routine for their full development. This suggests a potential strategy to promote nursing care in child health. BACKGROUND: (1) Daily home routine reflects parenting practices for child development. BACKGROUND: (2) Maternal reports express strengths and weaknesses of the child care environment. BACKGROUND: (3) A nurturing and interactive environment provides opportunities of child learning. BACKGROUND: (4) Daily constraints expose children to developmental vulnerabilities. BACKGROUND: (5) The Nurturing Care framework offers analytical domains of child care at home.