Determining Mothers' Views in the Context of Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to determine the perspectives of mothers in the context of parent-child relationships. In this qualitative study, a semi-structured interview form was administered to participants. The study group consists of 20 mothers with children aged between 10 and 13, residing in North Cyprus, Lefkoşa. Since the perspectives of mothers were collected through semi-structured questions in this research, a qualitative data analysis method, content analysis, was adopted for data analysis. The MAXQDA 2020 program was used for the analysis of the obtained data. According to the perspectives of mothers, it was concluded that mothers are more responsible for issues such as the education and development of the child. According to mothers' views, a good childhood means their children being happy, peaceful, and spending quality time with parents. According to mothers, their children are experiencing a good childhood. However, some participating mothers mentioned that their children are experiencing a partially good childhood. Mothers' expectations for their children include having a good job, being respectful, loving, successful, having a happy home, and being happy. According to mothers, communication with their children is described as strong. Spending quality time with children is considered the most effective method according to maternal views to strengthen parent-child relationships. Additionally, according to mothers, positive communication, creating a safe environment, and listening can strengthen parent-child relationships. According to mothers' views, difficulties with their children often revolve around communication. In terms of the support needed for difficulties in parent-child relationships, maternal opinions prioritize providing education for parents.