Immigrant Mothers with Preschool Children in Northern Cyprus and Their Attitudes Towards Their Children

Abstract

This study examined the attitudes of immigrant mothers with preschool children in Northern Cyprus towards their children from the points of view of mothers and teachers. The results were categorized under three main themes, which were “communication,” “discipline,” and “adaptation.” The study employed the case study method, which is one of the qualitative research methods. It was conducted with 35 immigrant mothers with preschool children and seven classroom teachers working in the preschool attended by the children. The researcher assumed the role of an observer in addition to collecting data. The mothers included in the study had lived in Northern Cyprus for eight years or less and were not citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The data, obtained through face-to-face interviews and observations, were analyzed using the descriptive analysis technique. The study concludes that immigrant mothers with preschoolers living in Northern Cyprus need support in terms of how to communicate effectively with and discipline their children and how to adapt to society. Also, our findings indicate that mothers are open to improvement when they receive support. On the other hand, it was observed that the support they received was only from their school. Therefore, the experience and qualifications of school administrators and teachers affect the support that parents receive, and if the administrators and teachers are not well equipped or interested, immigrant parents needing support may fail to improve themselves and to develop effective parenting skills.