Abstract:

The development and progress of each individual, as well as the social community as a whole, depends on properly and rationally spent free time. Therefore, a study was carried out aimed at establishing the attitudes and reflections of parents of preschool children related to:
(1) paying attention to their children's free time,
(2) by which activities they occupy them,
(3) who provides them with professional help,
(4) whether they are sufficiently educated to raise children in their freetime during the pandemic,
(5) and whether they need additional education.

The paper used theoretical analysis method and survey research method (preliminary study). A survey questionnaire designed for the purposes of this research was used as s measurement instrument.

The survey was conducted on a sample of 144 parents of preschool children, those whose children were covered by the treatment at the Radost Kindergarten in Montenegro. The results of the research show that after their stay in kindergarten, 53.5% of children spend their free time in one of the enclosed spaces playing games of their choice (95.1%); almost a half of the children (46.5%) spends his free time after his stay in kindergarten in nature.

Occasional support from the competent institutions in the organization of free time of the child has 39.6% of parents, while 38.9% of them do not have this support at all. Only one fifth of preschool parents (20.8%) has the continued support of the competent institutions. In doing so, 82.0% of respondents state that the competent institutions should always or at least occasionally provide greater support to parents in organizing their child's free time. The study participants, parents of preschool children (61.8% of them) expect all forms of support from the competent institutions. Thus, 18.1% of them expect help in education, 9.0% help in ensuring spatial and material conditions, while 11.1% of them expect the insurance of professional persons who would help create the content. The results of the research showed that only 2.8% of preschool children use media (TV, Internet, video games), which is an excellent indicator that children do not spend their free time with technology since it is not necessary or useful for their overall growth and development at that age.

Keywords:

Free time, parents, attitudes, preschool children, media, COVID-19 pandemic.