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Parenting activities and the transition to home-based education during the COVID-19 pandemic

Author

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  • Lee, Shawna J.
  • Ward, Kaitlin P.
  • Chang, Olivia D.
  • Downing, Kasey M.

Abstract

This study reports on parent-child dynamics during initial COVID-19 related school closures, based on cross-sectional analyses of a survey that utilized a convenience sampling approach. Data were collected in April 2020, approximately five weeks after the World Health Organization declared that the Coronavirus was a pandemic. Participants (N = 405) were adults recruited throughout the U.S. This study examines data from parents (69% mothers and 31% fathers) with at least one child 0–12 years of age. The majority were White (71%) and 41% had at least a bachelor’s degree. The majority of parents (78%) were educating their child at home due to COVID-19. Most (77.1%) reported use of online tools for at-home education, including educational apps, social media, and school-provided electronic resources. More than one-third (34.7%) of parents said their child’s behavior had changed since the pandemic, including being sad, depressed, and lonely. Most parents were spending more time involved in daily caregiving of their children since COVID-19. Two out of every five parents met the PHQ-8 criteria for major depression or severe major depression (40.0%) and the GAD-7 criteria for moderate or severe anxiety (39.9%). Multivariate analyses indicated that, compared to non-depressed parents, parents who met criteria for probable major or severe depression (B = −0.16, 95% CI = [−0.29, −0.02], p = .021) and parenting stress (B = −0.37, 95% CI = [−0.47, −0.27], p < .001) were negatively associated with parents’ perceived preparation to educate at home. Compared to parents with minimal or mild anxiety, parents with moderate or severe anxiety reported higher child anxiety scores (B = 0.17, 95% CI = [0.06, 0.28], p = .002). Parenting stress was also positively associated with higher child anxiety scores (B = 0.40, 95% CI = [0.32, 0.48], p < .001). Content analyses of open-ended questions indicated that school closures were a significant disruption, followed by lack of physical activity, and social isolation. Overall, study results suggested that parents’ mental health may be an important factor linked to at-home education and child wellbeing during the pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Lee, Shawna J. & Ward, Kaitlin P. & Chang, Olivia D. & Downing, Kasey M., 2021. "Parenting activities and the transition to home-based education during the COVID-19 pandemic," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:122:y:2021:i:c:s0190740920320089
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105585
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Saijun Zhang & Ying Hao & Yali Feng & Na Youn Lee, 2022. "COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts on Children with Developmental Disabilities: Service Disruption, Transition to Telehealth, and Child Wellbeing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-12, March.
    2. Mengqing Long & Jia Huang & Yishun Peng & Yawen Mai & Xian Yuan & Xinhua Yang, 2022. "The Short- and Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Child Maltreatment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-12, March.
    3. Ward, Kaitlin P. & Lee, Shawna J., 2022. "Associations of food insecurity and material social support with parent and child mental health during COVID-19," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    4. Martina Maněnová & Janet Wolf & Martin Skutil & Jitka Vítová, 2021. "Combating the Coronavirus Pandemic in Small Schools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-15, June.
    5. Walsh, Tova B. & Hoffmeister, Michael & Zimmerman, Laura & Pate, David & Davidson, Darryl, 2024. "“I found the power of my presence”: Low income and noncustodial fathers’ experiences and insights from parenting young children through the COVID-19 pandemic," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    6. Freisthler, Bridget & Gruenewald, Paul J. & Tebben, Erin & Shockley McCarthy, Karla & Price Wolf, Jennifer, 2021. "Understanding at-the-moment stress for parents during COVID-19 stay-at-home restrictions," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 279(C).
    7. Ahlam Mohammed Al-Abdullatif & Hibah Khalid Aladsani, 2022. "Parental Involvement in Distance K-12 Learning and the Effect of Technostress: Sustaining Post-Pandemic Distance Education in Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-19, September.
    8. Çelik, S. & Tomris, G. & Tuna, D.M., 2022. "The COVID-19 pandemic: The evaluation of the emergency remote parent training program based on at-home support for children with down syndrome," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    9. Wallace, Lacey N., 2023. "Parenting practices and adolescent delinquency: COVID-19 impact in the United States," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    10. Mariana Loezar-Hernández & Erica Briones-Vozmediano & Elena Ronda-Pérez & Laura Otero-García, 2023. "Juggling during Lockdown: Balancing Telework and Family Life in Pandemic Times and Its Perceived Consequences for the Health and Wellbeing of Working Women," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-17, March.
    11. Thanh, Pham Tien & Tram, Nguyen Hoang Mai & Tung, Le Thanh, 2024. "Educational inequality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam: Implications for disadvantaged children," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    12. Timothy J. Grigsby & Krista Howard & Jeffrey T. Howard & Jessica Perrotte, 2023. "COVID-19 Concerns, Perceived Stress, and Increased Alcohol Use Among Adult Women in the United States," Clinical Nursing Research, , vol. 32(1), pages 84-93, January.
    13. Stephanie Deeb & Devin Madden & Timnit Ghebretinsae & Joyce Lin & Umut Ozbek & Victoria Mayer & Nita Vangeepuram, 2022. "Child Disruptions, Remote Learning, and Parent Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-16, May.
    14. Ana Dias & Annibal Scavarda & Haydee Silveira & Luiz Felipe Scavarda & Kiran Kumar Kondamareddy, 2021. "The Online Education System: COVID-19 Demands, Trends, Implications, Challenges, Lessons, Insights, Opportunities, Outlooks, and Directions in the Work from Home," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-21, November.
    15. Amanda Klein-Cox & Angela Tobin & Ramona Denby, 2023. "When Kinship Caregivers Became Teachers: Role Stress and Strain from Remote Learning during COVID-19," Societies, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-29, August.
    16. Li, Shifeng & Xu, Qiongying & Xie, Jing & Wang, Lei & Li, Huining & Ma, Li & Xia, Ruixue, 2022. "Associations of parenting daily hassles with parents’ mental health during the COVID-19 school closure," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 311(C).
    17. José Juan Carrión-Martínez & Cristina Pinel-Martínez & María Dolores Pérez-Esteban & Isabel María Román-Sánchez, 2021. "Family and School Relationship during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-18, November.
    18. Jason Furman & Melissa S. Kearney & Wilson Powell III, 2021. "The role of childcare challenges in the US jobs market recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic," Working Paper Series WP21-8, Peterson Institute for International Economics.
    19. Jinho Kim & Sujeong Park & S. V. Subramanian & Taehoon Kim, 2023. "The Psychological Costs of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Heterogeneous Effects in South Korea: Evidence from a Difference-in-Differences Analysis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 455-476, February.
    20. Jan Vagedes & Karin Michael & Mohsen Sobh & Mohammad O. A. Islam & Silja Kuderer & Christian Jeske & Anne Kaman & David Martin & Katrin Vagedes & Michael Erhart & Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer & Tomáš Zdraži, 2023. "Lessons Learned—The Impact of the Third Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic on German Waldorf Parents’ Support Needs and Their Rating of Children’s Health-Related Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Online S," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-13, March.
    21. Markus Stracke & Miriam Heinzl & Anne Dorothee Müller & Kristin Gilbert & Anne Amalie Elgaard Thorup & Jean Lillian Paul & Hanna Christiansen, 2023. "Mental Health Is a Family Affair—Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Associations between Mental Health Problems in Parents and Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-18, March.
    22. Dimitra Panagiotopoulou & Kalliroi Papadopoulou, 2021. "Impact of the COVID-19 Quarantine on Young Children’s Family-Based Daily Activities in Greece," Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(2), pages 1-56, November.
    23. Elsner, Benjamin & Jindal, Manvi & Mascherini, Massimiliano & Nivakoski, Sanna, 2024. "Gender Gaps in Time Use: Pan-European Evidence from School Closures during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IZA Discussion Papers 17151, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    24. Tiitinen, Laura & Harrikari, Timo & Koivula, Sanna & Romakkaniemi, Marjo & Fiorentino, Vera, 2023. "Home school at the edge of chaos during the lockdown: Social workers’ perspectives," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    25. Tsun-Yu Huang & Wen-Kuo Chen & Venkateswarlu Nalluri & Thao-Trang Huynh-Cam, 2022. "Evaluating E-Teaching Adoption Criteria for Indian Educational Organizations Using Fuzzy Delphi-TOPSIS Approach," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(13), pages 1-18, June.

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