[Time management: realities for parents living with children with motor deficiencies]

A quantitative study involving 244 families from three health and social service regions of Quebec was undertaken to explore how families function. Fourteen families agreed to participate in the qualitative part of this study. Twenty-eight parents participated through an in-depth interview. During the interviews, the impact of the presence of a child with a motor disability on the parents' use of time was discussed. An analysis of the themes and categories highlighted the different aspects of the impact of a handicapped child on the parents' use of time in relation to the four spheres of life. In fact, the parents that were interviewed indicated that the presence of their child greatly influenced the time they had available for their personal, conjugal and family life as well as for doing any paid work. In general, mothers devoted more time than fathers to the care of the child. This situation has a direct impact on the way the mothers manage their time. Based on an analysis of the respondents' comments, the author recommends to offer support to the parents in order to assist them with time management.