A Social Work Study to Improve the Parent-Child Relationship: Focusing on a Two-Child Family in Nan Jing

Abstract

The parent-child relationship has a significant impact on children’s mental health and social adaptation. After the universal two-child policy was released in 2015, the number of second children has been increasing and it is necessary to concentrate on the parent-child relationship in a two-child family. This study will take Xiao Ke’s family in Nanjing as an example, with a total of five service objects, of which Xiao Ke and her father are the main service objects. Based on the family system theory, this study mainly uses qualitative research methods. In casework, it will use structural family therapy and rational emotive therapy model to solve the parent-child relationship between parents and first-born children, so as to enrich the local service experience in the field of family social work. Through the practical research, this article finds that establishing a democratic and equal parent-child relationship is what two-child family needs to concentrate. The factors that affect the parent-child relationship of the two-child family are the different treatment of compatriots and the degree of family harmony. Therefore, this article puts forward two suggestions insisting on two-way positive communication and formulating family rules to help two child family improve the parent-child relationship.

Keywords:

• Parent-child relationship
• two child family
• case work

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This paper is funded by the Jiangsu Social Science Fundation with Project number 22SHB012.

Notes on contributors

Di Qi

Di Qi is an Associate Professor in the Sociology Department in School of Public Administration in Hohai University. Her research interests include child development and wellbeing, social policy and social work intervention.

Han Jiang

Han Jiang is a Master student in the Sociology Department in School of Public Administration in Hohai University. Her research interests include child and youth social work.