Leisure Routines: Parents and Children with Disability Sharing Occupation

This phenomenological study describes occupations within family leisure routines that parents choose to share with their children. Nine parents caring for children who are unable to participate independently in self care and leisure pursuits due to multiple disabilities contributed to the study. Individual interviews using 10 open ended questions were completed to explore the cultural, temporal and environmental elements of these occupations that hold meaning for the parents. Both descriptive and interpretive qualitative analyses were used to ascertain patterns or themes within the narratives. The three themes that emerged reflect how sharing leisure routines created (1) opportunities for moments of happiness, (2) moments of normalcy and (3) moments of control of one's life and environment. These parental perspectives shed light on the ways shared leisure occupations sustain health and well-being for parents coping with the responsibility of caring for a child with disability.