Family Disruption and Parenting During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Schmeer, Kammi K.; Singletary, Britt; Purtell, Kelly M.; Justice, Laura M.

doi:10.1177/0192513x211042852

Cited by 17 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Table A2 in the online appendix further indicates only a few sociodemographic differences in parents’ likelihood to work from home in 2020: Highly educated parents, those with preschool or young schoolchildren, and parents with previous experience with WFH in 2019 were more likely to switch to WFH in 2020, whereas parents in technical and other occupations (including service and sales, machine operating, and craft workers) were less likely to work from home for large parts of their working hours. Because previous research on parenting also indicated sociodemographic differences related to parental education and children's age (e.g., Schmeer et al., 2021 ; Verweij et al., 2021 ), we used this information for the selection of control variables, which may confound associations between WFH and parenting (see below).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We further examined significant interaction effects by calculating predictive margins and average marginal effects (AME) of WFH and gender (calculated as discrete changes from 0 to 1), which we displayed graphically as well. Lastly, we addressed sociodemographic differences in the changes in responsive and harsh parenting compared to the pre‐pandemic year because prior studies documented stronger pandemic‐related effects for certain subgroups, such as highly educated mothers and parents with young children (e.g., Schmeer et al., 2021 ; Verweij et al., 2021 ). We also conducted two sets of sensitivity analyses, which examined the relationship between WFH and Δ WFC and probed the robustness of our findings for the subgroup of partnered mothers.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These arrangements allowed working parents to remain gainfully employed while compensating for the lack of formal childcare and closed schools. At the same time, these unprecedented conditions in work and family life posed new challenges to caregivers for engaging in supportive parent‐child interactions (Adisa et al., 2021 ; Chung et al., 2020 ; Goldberg, McCormick et al., 2021 ; Otonkorpi‐Lehtoranta et al., 2021 ; Schmeer et al., 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Work from home and parenting: Examining the role of work‐family conflict and gender during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Bernhardt

Recksiedler

Linberg

2022

Journal of Social Issues

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Many employers introduced or expanded working from home (WFH) in response to increasing infection rates after the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Whether WFH enhances or depletes parents’ resources for their children is still an open question. Drawing on contextual models of parenting and demands‐resources approaches, we examine how WFH during the early stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic was linked to changes in responsive and harsh parenting, particularly in light of pandemic‐related increases in work‐to‐family conflicts (WFC). We further investigate gender differences in these associations. Our analyses draw on a sample of working parents from a large‐scale German family survey conducted in 2019 and a COVID‐19 follow‐up from 2020. Results from first difference regression models in combination with Heckman's sample selection method revealed strongly gendered patterns of changes in parenting. Specifically, responsive parenting decreased and harsh parenting increased only among mothers who did not work from home. In addition, WFH buffered increased spillovers from WFC on declines in responsive parenting among mothers. In contrast, fathers’ parenting remained largely unaffected by pandemic‐related changes in their work situation. We conclude that WFH can be a resource gain because it seems to have relieved some pandemic‐related parenting strain for mothers. Yet as a consequence, it may have reinforced gendered patterns of childcare. We discuss implications for policymakers and support services for families. We also place a special emphasis on those who are not able to work from home because this seems to have increased the risk that high work demands impaired their parenting during the early stages of the pandemic.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Work from home and parenting: Examining the role of work‐family conflict and gender during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Bernhardt

Recksiedler

Linberg

2022

Journal of Social Issues

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“…Within this sample, actual financial conditions (income per capita, financial difficulties) did not distinguish family profiles, yet anxiety about future financial security distinguished both Struggling and Distressed families from Thriving families. Prior research with more socioeconomically diverse samples has shown that pandemic-related family hardship undermined family well-being ( Gassman-Pines et al, 2020 ; Chen et al, 2021 ; Feinberg et al, 2021 ; Schmeer et al, 2021 ). As the profiles did not differ in actual financial resources, financial worry may be another stressor that permeated across the socioeconomic spectrum during this period of societal economic uncertainty.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pre-existing vulnerabilities, such as pre-pandemic economic hardship, may impede a family’s ability to cope with pandemic conditions ( Prime et al, 2020 ). Less financially well-off families being more adversely affected by the pandemic and associated public health regulations accompanied with heightened parenting concerns ( Chen et al, 2021 ; Feinberg et al, 2021 ; Schmeer et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Family Thriving During COVID-19 and the Benefits for Children’s Well-Being

2022

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Although the COVID-19 pandemic has raised deserved concern regarding adverse impacts on parents’ and children’s mental health, regulations like “sheltering-in-place” may have afforded parents novel opportunities to foster positive family connections, thereby bolstering well-being. Using latent profile analysis (LPA), we (a) distinguished family thriving during shelter-in-place (May-June 2020) from other patterns of family functioning, (b) tested potential predictors of family functioning profiles, and (c) examined if family thriving predicted subsequent child adjustment (September–October 2020). 449 parents in two-parent U.S. families with children aged 2–18 years completed online surveys assessing (a) parent–child relationship quality, parents’ positive psychological adjustment, children’s emotional well-being, and parenting efficacy and satisfaction as family functioning indicators, (b) financial, marital, parental psychosocial assets, and child (age, gender, and temperament) predictors of family functioning, and (c) child adjustment. LPA identified four family functioning profiles: Thriving, Managing, Struggling, and Distressed. Thriving families evinced higher scores on all functioning indicators. Logistic regressions revealed that parents in Thriving families reported significantly lower financial anxiety, less dissatisfaction with partner’s help, less child emotionality, and greater use of cognitive reappraisal, as well as more positive child adjustment in Fall 2020. These findings underscore the multidimensional nature of coping and well-being during COVID-19. Utilizing these levers to promote mental health in families languishing during comparable future crises could promote resilience, thereby protecting children’s well-being.

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Parents’ Perspectives of Family Engagement with Early Childhood Education and Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Levickis

Murray

Lee-Pang

et al. 2022

Early Childhood Educ J

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The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services and families, impacting family access to services and their communication and engagement with educators. This study aimed to examine parents’ perspectives of family engagement with ECEC services during the pandemic. Primary caregivers in Victoria at the time of recruitment (September–November 2020) were invited to participate. Of the 66 participants who completed an online survey, 25 also took part in semi-structured video call or phone interviews; qualitative findings from these interviews are reported in this paper. Four key themes were conceptualised using a reflexive thematic approach: (1) disruptions to ECEC access and attendance impacting on family routines and relationships, and child development; (2) barriers to family engagement; (3) ECEC educators’ support of families and children during the pandemic; and (4) increased parental appreciation of the ECEC profession. Findings revealed that disruptions to ECEC access and routines during the pandemic adversely impacted family engagement, and child learning and social-emotional wellbeing for some families. These were aggravated by other stressors, including increased parental responsibilities in the home, financial and health concerns, and changed work conditions. Findings also demonstrated successful methods used by educators to maintain communication and connections with families. Importantly, parents expressed increasing appreciation of the profession and an increased awareness of the value of family involvement in children’s learning. Learnings regarding strategies for effective and alternative ways of engaging families are discussed.

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Family Disruption and Parenting During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Cited by 17 publications

References 43 publications

Work from home and parenting: Examining the role of work‐family conflict and gender during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Work from home and parenting: Examining the role of work‐family conflict and gender during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Family Thriving During COVID-19 and the Benefits for Children’s Well-Being

Parents’ Perspectives of Family Engagement with Early Childhood Education and Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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