daughterparent

Daughterparent is a descriptive term used to refer to a person who simultaneously holds the roles of daughter and parent within a family system. The term is not a formal diagnosis but a sociological shorthand for the experience of navigating responsibilities for one’s own child while still being someone’s child to their parents, often within a family that relies on extended or multigenerational caregiving.

Contexts: In families facing aging, illness, or economic hardship, a daughter may take on parenting duties for a younger sibling or for her own child while also providing care or emotional support to her aging parents. In some cases, the parent is not biological but acts as a parent to the daughter. The phenomenon is common in multigenerational households and can occur at various life stages, including adolescence or adulthood.

Implications: The daughterparent role can involve role conflict and caregiver burden, potentially contributing to stress, reduced autonomy, and heightened expectations. Coping strategies include accessing formal and informal support networks, respite services, counseling, and flexible employment or education arrangements. The term is related to, but broader than, parentification, which describes when a child assumes parental responsibilities to an extent that can affect development.

See also: caregiver burden, parentification, intergenerational households, multigenerational family.