"Wondering" and beyond: Discussion of Arietta Slade's "reflective parenting programs"

Arietta Slade describes the development of two reflective parenting programs that are based on Fonagy's and his colleagues' construct of reflective functioning. The merits of focusing on a defined theoretical construct are that it enables the conceptualization of the parent and child experiences that should be targeted and outlined in an intervention program. The discussion questions the extent to which parents, and in particular those with difficult histories, can be open to this intervention. The psychoanalytic literature has shown that parent-child interactions are affected by parents' past experiences that might be projected or attributed to their children. It is suggested that the intervention program should also address the parent and his or her past. Helping parents to arrive at a more integrated understanding of their own development could help them to be more open to the experiences of their children.