Parental Stress and Parents' Perceptions of Preschoolers' Behaviors Across Home and School
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Authors
Dukes, Charlice Noble-Jones
Issue Date
2026-01-20
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Educational leadership , Early childhood education , Child psychology , Ecological Systems Theory , Stress (Psychology) , Parenting , Education, Preschool , Dissertations, Academic
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Abstract
This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study examined the relationship between parental stress and preschoolers’ externalizing behaviors across home and school contexts. Phase I employed quantitative methods to investigate the extent to which parental stress predicted parental satisfaction and perceived loss of control using the Parental Stress Scale (Berry & Jones, 1995). Participants included 153 parents of preschool-aged children enrolled in early learning programs in South Georgia. Regression analyses revealed that higher levels of parental stress were significantly associated with lower satisfaction (R² = .32) and greater loss of control (R² = .50). The most frequently reported stressors included balancing work and parenting (33.8%), lack of time for self-care (30.5%), and managing child behavior (30.7%). Phase II utilized semi-structured interviews with nine parents to explore how stress and coping are experienced in daily life. Thematic analysis produced three overarching themes: navigating caregiver overwhelm, behavioral duality (home as a safe haven), and conscious parenting evolution. Parents described the interplay between emotional regulation, environmental context, and support systems in shaping stress and parenting responses. Triangulation of quantitative and qualitative findings demonstrated that stress operates as a dynamic process influenced by family systems and coping resources. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping, and Bandura’s social learning theory, this study highlights the importance of parental self-regulation, support networks, and intentional coping in promoting family well-being and healthy child development.
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This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.