GAMBARAN STRES PENGASUHAN PADA IBU YANG MEMILIKI ANAK USIA PRASEKOLAH

Parenting stress is a psychological condition experienced by parents due to the discrepancy between expectations and the reality of their child's development. High parental expectations can be a major stressor, significantly affecting the emotional well-being of mothers, particularly those with preschool-aged children (3–6 years). This study aims to analyze the level of parenting stress among mothers with preschool-aged children and to identify the influence of parental expectations as a key stressor. Using a descriptive quantitative approach, this research involved 102 mothers, selected through incidental sampling. Data were collected using the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) by Abidin (1995), which measures three main aspects: Parental Distress, The Difficult Child, and The Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction. The results indicate that mothers with high expectations for their child's development tend to experience higher stress levels, particularly in the Parental Distress aspect, which reflects emotional strain and difficulty in managing expectations. Additionally, maternal age, number of children, and employment status were significantly associated with parenting stress levels. These findings highlight the importance of education and social support to help mothers manage their expectations and reduce parenting stress.