Parents with intellectual disabilities are seldomly heard in research about parenting. 

Based on the parents’ own voices, this thesis contributes to deepened knowledge about parenting among persons with intellectual disability. 

By listening to twenty-three parents, my purpose has been to illuminate how parents themselves understand their parenting. The study is mainly based on an interactionist perspective and focuses on how parenting is done. 

To deal with the stigmatizing perceptions and to ward off a perceived threat that the children may be taken from them, the parents use several strategies. These strategies function as a way of counteracting the questioning of their parenting, but above all the parents emphasize giving their children a good childhood. 

In general, the parents experience that their care practices work well when children’s needs are practical and arise in a routinized close to everyday reality. With higher demands on the ability to improvise and financial resources, care is perceived as a greater challenge. Experiences of being listened to and receiving support can counteract feelings of being made suspicious and can promote autonomy and security. But the support can also give rise to feelings of dependence. This is especially valid for women. 

Introduction: In recent decades, the conditions in Sweden for parenthood for persons with intellectual disabilities have changed. However, there is little knowledge about how Swedish parents themselves experience their parenthood. The purpose is to understand the aspects that parents consider central to their parenting and, how the community's support is experienced. Methods: The empirical material consists of interviews with parents with intellectual disabilities. Results: Parents strive to be “regular” parents. Being a responsible parent is described as an ideal. It is common that they receive practical and financial support from relatives. Community support has a major impact. Support efforts based on strengthening own parental abilities and compensating for deficiencies tend to be helpful and reduce dependency. Efforts aimed at monitoring parenting are, however, experienced as stressful. Several of the parents' children are taken into custody. Depending on whether custody decision is done by coercion or by consent, affects the subsequent relationship between parent and child. Implications: Their preoccupation on parenting ideal, indicates that they feel limited in deviating from the norms. Successful community support should consider support from relatives, be based on the parents' abilities and compensate for their limitations. The establishment of basic trust appears to be a key component.