A Qualitative Investigation of How Student Parents Cope with Multiple Roles

Postsecondary education is associated with higher incomes, positive mental health, positive parenting practices, low levels of parenting stress, children\u27s academic success, and children\u27s social competence. The purpose of the study was to investigate the stressors college student-parents experience and the coping strategies they use to manage their multiple roles (i.e., parent and student). Interviews also aimed to understand how parents avoided having their stress negatively spillover into the parent-child relationship. Semi-structured qualitative interviews (N = 14) were conducted with college student parents who had a child aged 36 months or younger. Results revealed four categories of themes that lent insight into student-parent experiences: responses to being a student-parent, causes of stress, coping strategies, and motivation. Implications are discussed