Objective:

Applications to health institutions by parents requesting that their children’s school entry be postponed have increased in recent years. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of parental opinions regarding the readiness of their children and the effect of child-rearing attitudes on school maturity.

Materials and Methods:

Seventy-one children aged 69-72 months were included in this study. The sample group consisted of parents and children requesting postponement of school entry reports from our hospital. A “Family Information Form” was used to collect participant data, the “Metropolitan Readiness Test (MRT)” to evaluate children’s school maturity levels, and the “Parental Attitude Research Instrument (PARI)” to assessment parents’ family lives and child-raising attitudes. The data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis.

Results:

According to the MRT results, 22 participants were ready to start elementary school while 49 were not. MRT total scores were significantly negatively correlated with overprotection (p=0.011), refusal to be a housewife (p=0.019), husband-wife conflict (p=0.003), and strict discipline (p=0.011) subscale scores. As children’s MRT scores increased, we observed a decrease in parental overprotection, refusal to be a housewife, husband-wife conflict, and strict discipline scores. Mean scores for refusal to be a housewife, husband-wife conflict, and strict discipline were higher among parents of unready children than among those who were ready for school.

Conclusion:

Family opinions are not a sufficient basis for school entry postponement. Negative family attitudes reduce children’s school readiness. We believe that parents should receive training and counseling on childrearing attitudes in the preschool period.

Keywords: Parenting, child, pre-school period, parents’ attitudes, family