EFFECTS OF SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING ON PARENTING BEHAVIOUR OF WORKING PARENTS: THE CASE OF SAVE THE CHILDREN EMPLOYEES IN ADDIS ABABA

Abstract

Working parents are exempted from well-being and parenting related interventions due to the wrong assumption that they live a happier life and have positive parenting practices because of their educational and financial status. The purpose of the study was to assess the status of the subjective well-being and parenting behaviour of working parents and the effect of subjective well-being on their parenting behaviour. A mixed research approaches was employed. Accordingly, quantitative and qualitative research approaches and different methods were used to generate relevant primary and secondary data. Among 123 entire population of the working parents, 75 parents were drawn as a sample. The study found out that SWB (life satisfaction or happiness level) score of the working parents is very low. The women's situation is worse. The parenting practice of both parents is good in general. Females are better in practicing positive parenting than the males. However, setting limits and proactive parents stayed challenging to perform for both. The study revealed that subjective well-being has a significant effect on parenting behaviour. Specifically, sense of purpose, worthwhileness, feeling energy and autonomy found to be the factors affecting parenting behaviour. It also found out that there is a gap in subjective well-being status and parenting behaviour among the well-educated working parents which needs appropriate innervations at the individual, community, institution and policy level. However, further studies are necessary to understand the magnitude of the problem at a wider scope to design appropriate and contextualized interventions and policies to improve the subjective well-being situation and parenting behaviour of the parents.