From parentification to parenthood: caregiving responsibilities in childhood and childbearing desire in young adulthood

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction Childbearing and childrearing challenge parents’ physical, social and emotional capacities. Childbearing motivations and desires are indicators of person’s psychological readiness to meet these challenges and to establish a healthy bond with the child. Yet, much uncertainty still exists on how childbearing motivations and desires develop in the life course and to what extent early experiences in the family of origin contribute to their development. Objective The overall goal of the present study was to understand the relationship between early caregiving responsibilities (i.e. childhood parentification) in the family of origin and childbearing motivations and the desire to have a first child. Methods In the cross-sectional design study, childless Polish adults (N = 384; 20–35 years old) completed a set of self-report measures. Different dimensions of parentification experienced in childhood were measured retrospectively using the Parentification Inventory, and childbearing-related variables were assessed using the Childbearing Questionnaire. Data were analysed using mediation analyses. Results We found that past experiences of parent- and sibling-oriented parentification were positively associated with the desire to have a child, and these relationships were fully mediated by positive childbearing motivation. Further, our results showed that satisfaction with childhood caregiving responsibilities positively predicted childbearing desire, and this effect was partially mediated by positive and negative childbearing motivation. Conclusion Individuals’ early caring activities, especially when they evoke feelings of satisfaction and appreciation in the child, may play an important role in shaping childbearing motivations and desires that underlie their future reproductive behaviours.