Authors : Tri Budi Santoso; Linda Harumi; Tegar Birona Lintang Rinjani

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 6 - June

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/396e5vvu

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/57vx9hbc

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jun848

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Background: The leisure time of caregivers of children with special needs (CSN) is often disregarded due to the demanding nature of intensive care, generating a dichotomy between human rights and structural realities in developing nations.  Objective: The objective of this study is to explore the activities and meanings of leisure experiences of caregivers of children with special needs in Indonesia.  Method: This is a qualitative study with a descriptive phenomenological technique. The subjects were eight primary caregivers who were purposively picked from YPAC Surakarta. Data were acquired through semi-structured in-depth interviews and processed using Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis.  Results: Three main themes emerged from the results: (1) Reconceptualizing leisure from individual ‘me-time’ to collective ‘quality time’ that is restorative, productive, and strengthens emotional bonds; (2) Leisure activities embedded within caregiving roles (blurred boundaries), such as domestic creativity and customized outdoor exploration; and (3) Negotiation of multidimensional barriers (child conditions, dual burden), alleviated by informal support, especially the active role of coparenting.  Conclusion: The amount of free time experienced by caregivers of children with special needs is a fluid social construct and heavily dependent on the family support network. These findings contradict the care-recreation paradigm and call for holistic policy interventions, co-parenting education, and development of culturally appropriate, community-based respite care alternatives.

Keywords : Leisure, Caregivers of Children with Special Needs, Phenomenology, Co-Parenting, Respite.

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