Parenting practices and the development of conscientiousness : Experiences of Muslim parents of preschool children

Abstract

Research has shown that a person’s personality is formed in the early years of his or her life. While genetic factors are believed to play a role in this process, nurture is of paramount importance. The way parents relate to, treat, and respond to their young children goes a long way to shape character. In this study three Muslim parents of preschoolers aged between 5 and 6 years were interviewed to find out their parenting experiences. The school behaviors of their children were also observed for at least three months with the hope of getting insight of how parental experiences are related with their children’s behaviors and emotions. The main objectives of this study were to explore the parenting experiences of Muslim parents of preschoolers as well as the parenting styles and discipline strategies used and to discover the challenges faced by Muslim parents of preschoolers in managing their children’s behaviors and the solution for the challenges. It was found that: parents’ experiences in raising children, including Islamic parenting knowledge and their behavior, are the main factors in developing children’s behavior. Parents who implemented the Islamic approach in parenting, based on observation, showed that their children had high conscientiousness. Parents also faced some challenges and pressures from the environment and social media. However, the Qur’an and Prophet’s teachings are basic knowledge that are implemented by the parents. The recommendations for future studies include examining other participants of the school such as teachers, children, parents and policy makers, because conscientiousness can be successfully implemented through the cooperation all of those involved.