«I Love My Mommy So Much»: Needs and Obstacles in Child-Parent Intergenerational Dialogue

Abstract

The article presents the findings of a study on the peculiarities of parent-child communication aimed at identifying communication issues hindering normal intergenerational dialogue between parents and their adult children (18–32 years old). The data was collected by means of in-depth phenomenological interview. Qualitative analysis of the interviews using the method of condensation of meanings revealed three key categories of meanings: children's needs, obstacles to their fulfillment, and strategies to overcome them. It was identified that the need for separation in adolescence and adulthood contradicts parents' need to maintain control over their child. Additionally, adult children continue to have a need for attention from their parents, often unmet due to parents' insufficiently developed communication competence and lack of interest in the child. At the heart of this conflict of needs is the phenomenon of the lack of a common language for communication between generations in the family, exacerbated by parents belonging to another generation not only in terms of age but also in a historical aspect. A separate issue in intergenerational dialogue is the distant nature of communication with fathers. It was also found that to overcome barriers to normal communication, children develop the following communicative strategies: self-defense strategies, strategies for taking care of parents, and strategies for establishing contact. In conclusion, the necessity of creating opportunities for safe communication between children and parents is discussed, both in urban spaces and "third places," as well as in the format of separate events.