Browsing by Author "Tuominen, Riikka"

In my thesis I study everyday life in families with small children, especially from the mother´s point of view, with three different themes: intimate relationships, physical well-being and social networks. Research question in my thesis is: how everyday life in families with small children is. I am interested in what we really know about life in families with small children and how it is discussed in scientific literature. I examine how intimate relationship, physical well-being and social networks change when a child is born, or do they change. I wonder if mothers themselves can influence the fluency of their everyday life and does the expectations and pressures created by culture affect them. I also examine what are the ways of responding to possible challenges in every-day life and does the child really change everything. I achieve my thesis as a literature review and it is based on versatile sources from many different sciences. There is much comprehensive research from this subject, for example in education theory, social science and in women´s studies. Perceptions about motherhood, intimate relationships and physical well-being has changed a lot during the last decades and IT development has brought new forms of social support. However, the traditional roles, for example in relationships, are also very alive. The key concepts in my thesis are motherhood, everyday life, intimate relation-ship, physical well-being and social networks. With themes I chose I can examine everyday life on families with small children in a versatile and comprehensive way. My the-sis confirmed my belief that even though the everyday life in family with small children can sometimes be challenging and tiring, there can also be many factors that help to maintain well-being. Because everyday life with children is regular, it is easier to place regular exercise and healthy eating moments. In the middle of chaotic child family, it is possible to build new healthier lifestyles for the whole family. Also, the relationship can be strengthened when parenthood unites spouses and brings a new sense of belonging. It is important to note that in everyday life in families with small children, the change is often seen as an opportunity in some positive aspects of life.