An examination of the relationships between parents' nature connectedness self-efficacy, parenting stress, and parent–child relationshi̇ps

This study was conducted to examine the relationships between parents' nature-connected parenting self-efficacy levels, parenting stress, and the quality of parent–child relationships. In recent years, the decreasing opportunities for children to interact with nature and the increasing tendency of family life to take place in enclosed and structured environments have heightened the importance of parents' perceptions of their competence regarding nature. However, the literature shows that studies examining nature-connected parenting self-efficacy together with parenting processes are limited. Therefore, there is a need to investigate nature-connected parenting self-efficacy in relation to parenting stress and the quality of parent–child relationships within a holistic framework. The study was conducted using a relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods. The study group consisted of 255 parents who have children aged 48–72 months attending kindergarten in the city center of Kırşehir during the 2025–2026 academic year. Data were collected using the Nature-Connected Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale, the Parenting Stress Scale, the Parent–Child Relationship Scale, and a Personal Information Form. The obtained data were analyzed using a statistical software package. Correlation analysis, regression analysis, independent samples t-test, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed in the data analysis process. The findings revealed that as parents' nature-connected parenting self-efficacy levels increased, parenting stress decreased, while positive parent–child relationship levels strengthened. In addition, nature-connected parenting self-efficacy was found to be a significant predictor of both parenting stress and the quality of parent–child relationships. Regarding demographic variables, parental gender created a significant difference only in positive parent–child relationships, whereas parents' educational level, number of children, and family income were significantly related to nature-connected parenting self-efficacy levels.