Objective To explore the psychological adjustment experiences of parents of children diagnosed with intracranial tumors during the diagnostic and acute inpatient phases, and to provide evidence for clinical nursing practice.Methods A descriptive qualitative design was used.Through purposive sampling, 23 parents of children with intracranial tumors who were admitted to the neurosurgery ward from March to December 2024 were recruited for semi-structured interviews.Data were analyzed using content analysis to extract themes.Results Three main themes with ten subthemes were identified describing parents′ psychological adjustment process:diagnostic phase (cognitive shock and imbalance), treatment phase (role adaptation and relationship coordination), discharge phase (coping with challenges, life reconstruction, and meaning elevation).Conclusion The psychological adjustment process of parents of children with intracranial tumors is complex.Health professionals should be guided by Heider′s balance theory, optimize early psychological assessment and interventions for these parents, strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration and social support network construction, and provide individualized care guidance to promote parental psychological balance and improve quality of life.