As adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) move into adulthood, physical activity tends to decline and they are three times more likely to develop heart disease, stroke or cancer than their able-bodied peers. While their motor function may never reach the level of able-bodied teens, improving physical activity of adolescents with CP may help them reach more optimal physical and psychosocial health. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand physical activity of adolescents with cerebral palsy from the viewpoint of their parents ( n = 5). The research question was ‘How do parents of adolescents with cerebral palsy view physical activity?’. The study resulted in five themes: 1) ‘My child is unique’; 2) ‘It is not about winning, it is about being able to participate’; 3) ‘Friends motivate my child’; 4) ‘We can figure it out’; and 5) ‘I wish I could do more with my teen.’ Parents expressed powerlessness over their teen’s opportunities for physical activity. They reported that friends’ participation and social interaction are motivating factors for their child’s participation in physical activity. Another motivator would be linking movement to individual interests, focusing on abilities, not disabilities. An implication for practice would be to include parents in the development of physical activity programmes. Increasing empirical evidence from the viewpoint of these parents could inform nurses involved in public health, family medicine and rehabilitation about the development of programmes that would better anticipate and meet adolescent needs.

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Emerging research supports that early intervention leads to better health and higher functional status for infants with very low birthweight and/or low gestational age. Optimizing the transition from neonatal intensive care to early intervention programs relies heavily on parent engagement. The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to investigate the relationship between parental characteristics, childrearing behaviors, and participation in early intervention. We used convenience sampling of 49 parents who participated in early intervention and the Parent Behavior Checklist to assess parent characteristics. Correlation coefficients between parenting behaviors, birthweight, and participation in early intervention were low. An important finding was that most parents in this study were within the “average” range for childrearing practices, despite the documented challenges associated with very low birthweight or gestational age. Despite documented challenges, parents of preterm infants with very low birthweight and parents of typical birthweight infants have similar parenting beliefs and behavior.