Mothers', fathers' and children's perceptions of parents' expectations about children's family obligations in nine countries

Children’s family obligations involve assistance and respect that children are expected to provide to immediate andextended family members and reflect beliefs related to family life that may differ across cultural groups. Mothers,fathers and children (N = 1432 families) in 13 cultural groups in 9 countries (China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya,Philippines, Sweden, Thailand and United States) reported on their expectations regarding children’s family obligationsand parenting attitudes and behaviours. Within families, mothers and fathers had more concordant expectations regardingchildren’s family obligations than did parents and children. Parenting behaviours that were warmer, less neglectful andmore controlling as well as parenting attitudes that were more authoritarian were related to higher expectations regardingchildren’s family obligations between families within cultures as well as between cultures. These international ndingsadvance understanding of children’s family obligations by contextualising them both within families and across a numberof diverse cultural groups in 9 countries.