Creencias parentales sobre la crianza de los hijos: características de padres e hijos, aceptación -rechazo y control parental en Cuenca, Ecuador

In the socialization of children, families are likely to be influenced by the society and also by previous generations. Parents apply relational strategies in a dynamic and circular way in order to raise their children. The objective of this study is to determine the beliefs of parents regarding their own parental characteristics, the behavior of their children during their upbringing and their relation to acceptance, rejection and parental control. The participants - a total of 569 parents - were selected from 20 private and public schools located in Cuenca-Ecuador, where their children currently attend. The study responds to a quantitative approach at the descriptive-correlational level. For this study, The Rohner Parent Parq/Control 2005 survey and 12 criteria items on the beliefs of parents about child-rearing, were applied. The results indicate that there is hardly any relation between the criteria items concerning the beliefs of parents about the characteristics of their children, and affection and rejection. However, parents from Cuenca perceive themselves as affectionate. Regarding the characteristics of parents, significant differences in their responses were found: during childhood, the participating fathers perceived more affection from their parents than the participating mothers did. In addition, fathers - more than mothers do - believe that there should be more control over their daughters than over their sons. Lastly, in most cases, fathers are the ones who create the rules in the house and believe that children must obey them.