The adolescent-adult caregiver relationship is arguably one of the strongest influences on adolescent parents’ development and parenting abilities. In Cape Town, South Africa, an evaluation of a parenting programme targeting school-going adolescent parents, considered the intervention effects on parenting and adolescent wellbeing, in three low-income communities. Adolescent parents resided with their adult caregivers. This paper draws on seventeen qualitative interviews with the caregivers of these adolescent parents. The qualitative interviews formed part of a wider parenting programme evaluation. This study explored the nature of the adolescent-caregiver relationship, and the potential effects of these relationships on adolescents’ wellbeing and parenting competencies. The findings suggest that while caregivers played co-parenting roles, they were often not emotionally supportive, placed multiple demands on the adolescents, and portrayed authoritarian approaches. The adolescent-caregiver relationships were often complex, hierarchical, and reflected negative parenting. Caregiver behaviours possibly left adolescents feeling unsupported, restricted in their parental autonomy, and undermined. Caregivers reported adolescents’ use of harsh discipline measures with their children. The findings highlight the indelible imprint that older generations, particularly those upholding traditional values, have on adolescent parents and their parenting. The authors conclude that caregiving environments that lack supportive interactions may lead to an elevated risk of compromised mental health and lowered parental competency for adolescent parents. Caregiver-adolescent relationship quality should be considered in interventions targeting adolescent parents. Interventions should be inclusive of adolescents’ caregivers, emphasising that support relationships should nurture both the adolescent and their young children.

青少年与成人的照顾者关系可以说是对青少年父母的发展和育儿能力影响最大的因素之一。在南非开普敦，对针对在学青少年父母的育儿计划进行了评估，考虑了三个低收入社区对育儿和青少年福祉的干预影响。青春期父母与成年照顾者同住。本文借鉴了对这些青少年父母的照顾者的 17 次定性访谈。定性访谈构成了更广泛的育儿计划评估的一部分。本研究探讨了青少年与照顾者关系的性质，以及这些关系对青少年福祉和育儿能力的潜在影响。研究结果表明，虽然照顾者扮演共同育儿的角色，但他们往往没有情感支持，对青少年提出了多重要求，并描绘了专制的方法。青少年与照顾者的关系通常是复杂的、等级森严的，并反映了消极的养育方式。照顾者的行为可能会使青少年感到不受支持，父母的自主权受到限制，并受到损害。看护人报告说，青少年对他们的孩子采取了严厉的管教措施。研究结果凸显了老一辈人，尤其是那些坚持传统价值观的一代人，对青少年父母及其养育方式留下了不可磨灭的印记。作者得出结论，缺乏支持性互动的照顾环境可能会导致青少年父母心理健康受损的风险增加和父母能力降低。在针对青少年父母的干预措施中，应考虑照顾者与青少年的关系质量。 干预措施应包括青少年的照顾者，强调支持关系应同时培养青少年及其幼儿。