Emotional Parenting Distress and Construction of Online Resources

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to construct emotional parenting resources and understand emotional parenting difficulties of parents. A qualitative research method with focus group interview was utilized, with the subjects being ten caregivers of children aged 3-6 years. The data were analyzed by content analysis, producing the following criteria: Content goals of online resources related to promoting a sense of competence in parenting, promoting parenting knowledge for emotional processing, promoting knowledge for seeking mental health resources, reducing parenting stress, promoting communication, and expert consultation forums; and resource content relating to assessment of the primary caregiver’s parenting style, sense of competence and physical and mental status, assessment of children’s emotional state and temperament, knowledge of emotional development and processing, situational examples, mental health resources, parenting resources, communication and interaction promotion knowledge and expert consultation forum. The disturbances of parenting among caregivers in the focus group were focused on communication difficulties, high persistence in children’s behaviors, their inconsistent performance at school and at home, deciding when to allow children to become more independent, how to comfort children using application of soothing dolls or toys, and disagreements between elders and parents.