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Why are parents expected to work for free when their kids play sports?
In Norway, parents are expected to help out when their children take part in extracurricular activities. But many parents who have moved to Norway from other countries are not used to this.
Why do parents have to sell toilet paper when their children play football?
This was the question one father raised when speaking to the researchers.
Researchers interviewed 16 immigrant parents from 8 countries. None of them were used to parents taking an active part in running their children’s leisure activities.
While the parents felt it was natural to support their children, they did not necessarily expect to become coaches, sell raffle tickets, work in the kiosk, or organise activities.
Unfamiliar to many
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Dugnad has become a normal part of everyday life for Norwegian families, particularly in sports clubs, housing cooperatives, school bands, and voluntary organisations.
Dugnad refers to people working for free to help one another. Although the work is described as voluntary, parents are often expected to participate.
"This isn't a uniquely Norwegian phenomenon. Most people, even if they come from countries very different from ours, are familiar with some form of what we call dugnad. But the way we do it in Norway is unfamiliar to many," says Benedicte Nessa.
She is one of the researchers who interviewed the parents.
"People from Eastern Europe, for example, are used to extracurricular activities being run more professionally. The standard may be even higher than in Norway, but families generally pay for those services," she says.
An opportunity to make new friends
It is not necessarily that these parents do not want to help.
One mother who had moved to Norway from another country told the researchers that she had tried working at the kiosk during an extracurricular activity. But she found it difficult to understand what the customers were asking for. Her Norwegian was not good enough. So she stopped volunteering.
This illustrates how the Norwegian tradition of dugnad can exclude people.
But researchers have also found examples of how it can help people become part of the community.
One father explained that he got to know Norwegian fathers through his son’s football team. Eventually, the families began inviting one another over for dinner.
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Language barriers make volunteering difficult
The researcher believes we may underestimate how important language skills are for participating in volunteer work.
"Imagine working at a kiosk with 20 to 30 parents and children waiting in line. It can be difficult to understand everyone's orders, whether they're asking for two Smil chocolates, a packet of Knott, and a hot dog in a bun, or a cup of coffee," says Nessa.
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She believes that the demands placed on parents can sometimes be unreasonable.
"Perhaps we should focus on giving parents responsibilities they feel capable of handling, even if they still don't speak the language very well," she says.
At the same time, several immigrant parents reported positive experiences with dugnad.
They feel that others gradually begin to understand them, and over time, they themselves come to understand how things work. And when they take on responsibilities, they get to know other parents better. This helps them learn more.
"But it doesn't happen overnight," says the researcher.
Not just an issue for immigrants
Keeping up with children's extracurricular activities can be demanding, especially for parents with multiple children.
"It may be unrealistic to expect so much from parents who are also working and trying to learn a new language," says Nessa.
But she believes these challenges are not limited to immigrant families.
Parents who work shifts, have financial difficulties, or do not have access to a car may face similar challenges.
May affect the children
The researchers believe that it is not necessarily the parents who need to adapt. Sports clubs and other organisations need to adapt too.
As part of the study, the researchers also interviewed people from 10 different extracurricular organisations about this.
Nessa suggests that we may need to rethink how these activities are organised.
"If we don't take everyone's circumstances into account, we risk leaving many children unable to take part in extracurricular activities," says Nessa.
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Translated by Alette Bjordal Gjellesvik
Read the Norwegian version of this article on ung.forskning.no
Source:
Nessa et al. Innvandrerforeldres involvering i barns fritidsaktiviteter (Immigrant parents' involvement in children's leisure activities), Research report for the Norwegian Institute for Social Research, 2026.
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