Background: Overweight among children is a growing problem that can lead to overweight in the adult life and may result in severe consequences like developing diabetes and/or heart diseases. School nurses have a great opportunity to identify children and parents that are in need of guidance regarding a healthier lifestyle. School nurses’ work includes promoting a healthy lifestyle to children. Children cannot take responsibility over their lifestyle choices and therefore it is of great importance to involve their parents.

Aim: This study aims to describe school nurses’ experiences of encounters with parents of children with overweight.

Methods: This study was conducted using a qualitative, descriptive method. Eight school nurses were interviewed with open questions and the transcribed text was subjected to qualitative content analysis.

Results: The result ended up in the theme ‘Daring to raise the topic’. Three categories; ‘being stucked’, ‘a sensitive topic’ and ‘master ones work’ and seven subcategories emerged. It takes courage to raise the difficult topic, because the parents could react with denial or become defensive which is difficult for the nurses to handle. The school nurses also described encounters with parents that were motivated and wanted help with making lifestyle changes.

Conclusion: It was considered being of great importance that the school nurse had a professional approach, which means meeting the parents where they were both regarding their knowledge and emotional stage.