<![CDATA[Parental autonomy support has been widely recognized widely recognized as an important factor in children’s motivation, self-regulation, and socio-emotional development. However, previous studies have mostly relied on structured and decontextualized measures, offering limited understanding of how autonomy support is practiced in everyday parent–child interactions. This study aim to explores how parents support children’s autonomy during the school-to-home transition, a routine yet understudied moment in early childhood development. This study employed a qualitative approach using naturalistic observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted with six parents of kindergarten-aged children. The findings show that autonomy support is not simply a stable parenting trait, but a flexible interactional practice shaped by daily situations and children’s responses. Parents supported autonomy through structured choices, emotional validation, reason-giving, and non-controlling communication. The transition period also became an important space where children’s emotions, independence, and relational needs were negotiated, often alongside parental expectations and boundaries. By focusing on everyday transitional interactions, this study offers a more situated understanding of autonomy support within Self-Determination Theory. The findings further highlight the potential of routine family transitions as opportunities to foster children’s self-regulation and autonomy, particularly in collectivist cultural contexts that remain underrepresented in the literature. This study reconceptualizes parental autonomy support within Self-Determination Theory as a dynamic, contextual, and cross-culturally relevant practice.]]>
