Introduction: The struggle of being a parent is universal. However, the struggle is even greater when parents have experienced forced migration and lack of community and social support in the host country. Parenting behaviour in a host country is affected by the social environment and how the host country receives the immigrant parents. The research that explores Somali-born parents’ experiences and their need for parenting support in a new context is limited. Our aim is to explore Somali-born parents’ experiences of parenting and needs in relation to parenthood in Sweden.
Method: Data were collected using focus group discussions (FGDs). The sample consisted of 23 mothers and fathers living in a county in central Sweden. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.
Results: The results illustrated that many newly emigrated Somalis living in Sweden experienced parenthood in transition based on the complex process parents experience when they leave their home country and settle in a new country. It was a process that includes challenges and opportunities. The challenges concerned leaving the home country and family behind and losing membership in their social network. New challenges arose on arriving and alienated in the new country, exacerbated by lack of knowledge about the country’s systems related to parenthood. In response to these challenges, role change and power conflicts sometimes arose between family members. Despite these challenges, participants experienced opportunities in the new country. With regard to parenting, the new country presented them with new ways to improve their parenting. Somali-born parents strove to renegotiate their parenting style.
Conclusion: Immigrant and refugee parents have a need for support from the Social and Health Care Services and it appears that the existing support is not reaching these families. Thus this study shows that there is a need for culturally sensitive support.