Table 1 - Sub-themes

Adult children living with parenting worries

Worries about children’s emotional health

Worries about children developing mental illness.

Hyper-vigilante to child’s emotional health.

Finding the children’s emotions difficult to understand.

Parenting challenges

Finding communications with child challenging. Struggling to develop emotional connectivity with child.

Parenting self-doubts

Self-doubt and questioning parenting – lacking confidence.

Difficulties ensuring consistency with children.

Have to consciously think about parenting more than others.

Lacking an internal parenting framework and support

Lacking a parenting framework and role model.

Lacking guidance in parenting role.

Oppositional parenting

Fears of making the same mistakes as own parents.

Using an opposite approach to parenting.

Adult children seeking connectivity with their children and others

Wanting better and the best for the children

Want success, happiness, community role for children.

Wanting something different for children than own (adult children’s) experiences.

Wanting to be the best parent possible.

Wanting love and connectivity with children

Importance of being with family and children.

Being involved with children’s daily lives and enjoying family time.

Want to give children so much love – being loving, respectful, open and developing trust.

Wanting to protect or be protected by children

Want to protect children.

Not wanting children to go through the same as adult children.

Wanting to provide space for children to grow

Allow children to follow their desires – provide opportunities for them.

Independence is key.

Actively developing resilience in children.