Personal and familial needs of parents with toddlers: a qualitative study exploring the needs of parents in urban Bengaluru, India

Background: Parenting is multifactorial and existing literature on parenting highlights the role of parental stress, family and environmental factors shaping parenting that influence child development. There is a dearth of literature on the needs of parents with toddlers in the Indian socio-cultural context. Identifying them helps in planning pragmatic interventions. Aim: The present study aimed to understand the personal and familial needs of parents with toddlers. Design: The study adopted an exploratory research design using semi-structured interviews. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Setting and participants: The study was conducted in urban Bengaluru, India. Interviews were conducted with eight professionals and ten parents. Results: The first theme was Personal needs which included sub-themes, namely Lack of personal space, Poor help-seeking behaviour, Emotional experiences, and Coping skills. The second theme was Familial needs, which included sub-themes: Support, Challenges related to communication, Differences in parenting practices, and Grandparenting. Conclusion: The study findings indicated the need for including the content on parental self-care and family dynamics in parenting programme.