Being a parent of a gifted child: Perceptions regarding parenting stress

Having a child is described by many parents as a very stressful experience. However, the experience of parenting a gifted child brings challenges arising from different processes. These parents may experience parenting stress in various ways due to the characteristics of the child's giftedness, educational conditions, and personal life challenges. In this context, the relevant literature indicates that studies on the parents of gifted children are primarily conducted in the international literature, while most of the studies conducted in Turkey are related to the education of gifted children. Hence, the current study aims to contribute to the national literature by examining the experiences of parenting a gifted child in Turkey regarding parenting stress and coping processes. This study aims to examine the experiences of parents of gifted children with parenting stress and their ways of coping with this stress. In order to understand the nature of the phenomenon of parenting stress, a phenomenological approach from qualitative research methods was used in the current study. The maximum variation sampling technique, one of the purposive sampling methods, was used, and 13 couples (26 parents) who met the criteria were interviewed. The data were collected from parents with at least one child diagnosed with giftedness using the Demographic Information Form and Semi-Structured Interview Form designed by the researcher. Interviews conducted face-to-face with one parent and with the other parents through online interview channels were analyzed using the content analysis method. In this context, the analysis process started with the coding of the data, and after the coding, thematic coding was done by finding similarities between the codes. After the codes and themes were organized, the findings obtained were interpreted by the researcher, and the content analysis process was completed. In order to determine the reliability of the current study, intra-rater reliability was calculated at two-week intervals. The reliability coefficient was found to be 94.31%. The research findings suggest that most of the participants stated that there was no change in their child-rearing processes after their children were identified as gifted, but at the same time, from the perspective of parenting stress, it was found that they intensely experienced parenting stress due to the characteristics of the gifted child. Besides, fathers were more likely to report perceptions of parental inadequacy, while mothers were more likely to report high expectations from their children. Strengthening the relationship and communication within the family, allocating personal time, and learning about giftedness were reported as factors that facilitated coping with parenting stress. The findings of the study were discussed in line with the literature, and suggestions were provided for researchers and experts working in the field.