“My Mom Tells Me I Should Follow the Rules, That’s Why They Have Those Rules”: Perceptions of Parental Advice Giving Among Mexican-Heritage Adolescents

Abstract

Relatively little research has examined the ways in which immigrant Latino parents can effectively support their adolescent children’s schooling. To address this gap, we conducted in-depth interviews with 32 Mexican-heritage 9th graders. Students identified parents’ advice giving as the most salient form of involvement. Parental advice emphasized the importance of persisting in school, avoiding hardship as experienced by parents, and exhibiting social competence in relationships with peers and teachers. Parental advice giving was transmitted most effectively in the context of parent–child closeness. The findings form a basis for fostering effective and sustainable parent–school partnerships.