In 2020, about 25 per cent of all preschool children in Sweden had immigrant backgrounds. The aim of this study is to explore how recent societal and cultural changes have affected the demands on staff in early childhood education (ECE). Prior research has stressed the importance of ECE teachers’ competence to deal with diversity. Cultural differences may lead to conflicts between teachers and parents in ECE, (Stier and Sandström, 2018, 2020), yet the Swedish curriculum provides little guidance on how to handle challenging situations. There is a risk that multicultural education in ECE sustains stereotypes by focusing on outward manifestations such as traditions and food (Phoon et al., 2013), and Madrid Akpovo, (2019) emphasizes teachers’ need to scrutinize their own values and behaviour. Therefore, the researchers argue, ECE teacher education programmes need to work systematically with intercultural pedagogy, intercultural communication skills, and discursive awareness.  “Dilemmatic spaces” is a conceptual framework in educational settings suggested by Fransson and Grannäs (2012). Dilemmas are seen not as momentary nor occurring on an individual level but in a larger context. The conceptual framework makes it possible to analyse teachers’ everyday practice in relation to societal changes. In the study, twelve ECE principals were interviewed in focus groups. Informed consent procedures were followed, and pseudonyms were used to protect the identities of participants Overarching dilemmas were identified in ECE teachers’ efforts to show respect for other cultures while upholding Swedish culture, and to consider immigrant parents’ expectations while communicating Swedish ECE values, policies and routines.