Meaning making and avoidance in parenting

This article challenges the use of the concept of avoidance as dysfunctional in parenting, and questions research on parental coping practices in isolation from context. Sixteen parents with children with more or less behaviour problems were selected for analysis. The concept avoidance strategy constituted the analytical theme in situations associated with stress, and parents’ meaning making was the focus of analysis. Parental coping is not only related to internal processes, but also to the risk or opportunities in the social systems. All parents use avoidance actions in various ways, which may also be seen as adaptive and proactive actions. The meaning of age, gender, living conditions, social support, and the parents’ resources are significant in the framing of family life. It is significant to stretch the concept ‘normality’ to include more variation and diversity. By bringing in knowledge from ‘normal’ parenting processes into clinical practice, clinical cases may not always seem clinical.