An examination of stress levels among parents of preschool-aged children in terms of various variables
Keywords:
Preschool years, parental stress, digital parentingAbstract
Purpose: This study aims to holistically examine the stress experienced by parents of preschool-aged children in the context of traditional demographic variables and current digital parenting practices.
Design and methods: Parents of 415 children aged 4–6 living in three socioeconomically disadvantaged districts of Istanbul (Çekmeköy, Sancaktepe, Gaziosmanpaşa) participated in this cross-sectional survey study. Data were collected using the “General Information Form” and the “Parental Stress Scale.” An independent samples t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the data.
Results: Mothers’ parenting stress factors and total stress scores were found to be significantly higher than those of fathers. Parents whose mothers worked were found to have lower levels of perceived lack of control and total stress. While children’s daily screen time did not have a significant effect on parental stress, the stress levels of parents who “often bend” screen time rules and “sometimes” or “often” monitor content were found to be significantly higher than those of parents who always enforce the rules and always monitor content.
Practice implications: Interventions targeting families should focus not only on limiting screen time but also on equipping parents with the skills to set consistent boundaries in the digital world, acknowledging the link between consistent content monitoring and parental well-being. In addition, the burden of care should be shared equitably among parents, and social support mechanisms for mothers should be strengthened.
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