Parenting during the second year of COVID‐19: Positive and negative parental experiences in the U.S.A.

• Published date: 01 October 2023
• Author: Jenny Lee Vaydich,Emily Kay Anderson,Katherine L. O'Connell,Nicole Moreira,Caitlin F. Deonier
• Date: 01 October 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12871

RESEARCH

Parenting during the second year of COVID-19:

Positive and negative parental experiences in the

U.S.A.

Jenny Lee Vaydich|Emily Kay Anderson|

Katherine L. O’Connell |Nicole Moreira|Caitlin F. Deonier

Department of Psychology, Seattle Pacific

University, Seattle, WA

Correspondence

Jenny Lee Vaydich, Department of

Psychology, Seattle Pacific University, 3307

3rd Avenue West, Seattle, WA 98119, USA.

Email: vaydichj@spu.edu

Abstract

Objective: In this study, we examine the impact of the

COVID-19 pandemic on parenting during the second year

of the pandemic.

Background: Many families experienced abrupt and pro-

longed changes in their daily routines. Due to the influence

of long-term stress on parenting quality and parenting

behaviors, the current study focused on understanding the

potential impact of the ongoing pandemic on parents.

Method: Twenty parents (M

age

=38.25, SD =7.77), living

in the United States, with at least one child (newborn to

18 yearsofage)participatedinanonlineinterview.The

majority of participants identified as White/European

(80%), married (95%), and female (80%), with an under-

graduate degree or higher (95%). All participants were flu-

ent in English. Thematic analysis was used to identify

themes based on parents’answers to questions about their

parenting and family routines during the pandemic.

Results: Four themes and three subthemes were produced

from the data: experiences as a parent (subthemes included

negative experiences, positive experiences, and sources of

social support), stressors impacting parenting, concerns for

child(ren), and changes in child(ren)’s daily lives.

Conclusion: Parents reported experiencing some of the same

stressors that were identified at the beginning of the pan-

demic. The majority had positive and negative experiences

parenting, and a few participants reported similarities in their

parenting. Many parents utilized their social supports, but

some lost social relationships. Finally, potential patterns

Author note: We thank the parents who took time out of their busy schedules to share their experiences.

Received: 13 March 2022Revised: 16 January 2023Accepted: 21 January 2023

DOI: 10.1111/fare.12871

© 2023 National Council on Family Relations.

1532 Family Relations. 2023;72:1532–1548.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fare

emerged based on parent gender, household size, and house-

hold income.

Implications: Supporting healthy child development during

stressful periods may involve providing support for parents

and assistance managing parental stress.

KEYWORDS

child development, COVID-19, parenting, stress, support

Navigating changes in childcare, schooling, work, and family life during the COVID-19

pandemic presented unique challenges for parents. Many parents experienced stressors car-

ing for their children, as well as financial and health-related concerns (Romero et al., 2020).

As a result, families needed to find new ways to manage daily demands and family routines

due to the pandemic, which may have prompted changes in parenting and family function-

ing. For example, some parents became more involved in childcare and were reading and

playing with their child more frequently (e.g., Kalil et al., 2020). Other parents experienced

changes in family routines, including increased family interaction and logistical challenges

balancing work and school together within the home (Calvano et al., 2022;Chuetal.,

2021). However, less is known about the impact of pandemic-related changes in families’

lives following the early phases of the pandemic. This study focused on the COVID-19

pandemic as a global stressor that may have unique impacts on parenting and child devel-

opment during the second year of the pandemic.

PARENTAL STRESS AND WELL-BEING DURING THE EARLY

PHASES OF THE PANDEMIC

Several studies conducted during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, containing

qualitative components, found parents’experiences of the stay-at-home orders and

COVID-19 restrictions were mixed. For example, some parents said the pandemic had been

a positive experience for their family. Parents reported that they had a slower pace of life

and increased family time (Calvano et al., 2022). Spending more time together as a family,

they relied on each other, supported one another, and improved their parent–child and part-

ner relationships (Calarco et al., 2020;Chuetal.,2021). Despite some positive experiences,

parents also reported negative effects of the pandemic, and common themes of parenting

stressors included the impact of the pandemic on their children, helping their children

with online schooling, focusing on work while at home, and managing parenting demands

(Chu et al., 2021). Emotionally, parents also reported worrying about health concerns and

experiencing decreased mood and parenting confidence, as well as increased psychological

distress (Adams et al., 2021; Perez et al., 2021).

Furthermore, the stay-at-home orders and public health measures implemented during the

first wave of the pandemic created changes that were not only stressful for families they were

also significant, unexpected, and abrupt (Adams et al., 2021; Calvano et al., 2022). Managing

sudden school closures and lack of childcare while working from home were significant stressors

for many parents. As the pandemic continued, other parenting stressors included prolonged

changes in children’s daily structure and routines as well as the demands of ongoing

online schooling (Adams et al., 2021). Drawing on family stress theory (Patterson, 2002), the

COVID-19 pandemic was a major stressful event for families worldwide and introduced new,

and potentially long-term, stressors.

PARENTING DURING THE SECOND YEAR OF COVID-191533