The development of children's health care over the last 15-20 years has resulted in an increased move towards ambulatory care, including day case surgery, which has implied benefits in reduced hospitalization and cost. The wider impact on the child and family is less clear. The study aimed for greater insight into the impact of day case surgery on the child and family from the parent's perspective. Using a qualitative approach and descriptive and inductive methods, the design focused on the parent's experiences of their child's surgery. Diaries were completed by 11 families over a 7-14-day period following their child's surgery. Findings demonstrated that there were significant issues for families in managing the care of their child with regard to the social impact for the parent and child, emotional issues for parent and child, and the need for formal and informal support systems.