Parent-Infant Interactions, Parent Well-Being, and Changes in Daycare at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: Poster Session 04
  In Poster Session: PS 04 Topic - Family Context & Processes

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically and abruptly changed various aspects of family life. In addition to dealing with the psychological weight of a novel illness quickly spreading across the globe, many parents were forced to change their work habits and daily routines to care for children no longer able to attend daycare. Previous literature provides evidence that parental negative affect (specifically depression) may negatively impact how parents interact with their children (Lovejoy, Graczyk, O'Hare & Neuman, 2000; Righetti-Veltema, Conne-Perreard, Bousquet & Manzano, 2002). The stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic and changes in a family’s daily life may have a similar effect. In the present study, we investigated whether the frequency of parent-infant interactions may be predicted by abrupt daycare closures, parent’s stress about finances, and parent’s general well-being 3 to 4 months after a state of emergency had been declared due to the pandemic.
Parents of children 3 to 34 months old (N = 61, Mage = 17.52, SD = 7.95) participated in this online survey study. The survey included questions about families’ daily lives, childcare situation, emotional well-being, and parent-child interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic. All surveys were completed between June 17th and July 18th, 2020. Only Kentucky families were included in this study. Kentucky daycares were ordered to close by March 20th, 2020.
Parents were asked about the frequency of five parent-infant interactive behaviors: reading, free play, singing, engaging meaningfully through play and direct conversations, and speaking about the child’s feelings and emotions. Parent well-being and family-stress factors were also assessed. Specifically, the extent to which parents were concerned about their household’s financial situation, parents’ general well-being (DASS; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995), and changes in daycare (never attended daycare, n =17; previously attended but stopped due to the pandemic n = 40, and attended daycare continuously, n = 4) were measured.
Separate multiple regressions were conducted to predict the frequency of each of the five parent-child interaction activities. Predictor variables included infant age, financial concern, DASS, and daycare group. Results indicate that infant age significantly predicted reading (F(1, 58) = 8.76, p = .004, R2 = .13, R2adj =.17) and speaking about emotions (F(1, 58) = 13.98, p < .0001, R2 = .19, R2adj = .18). These positive relations with age may represent a typical pattern for how parents engage with their infants as they develop. Infant age and financial concern predicted singing (F(2, 57) = 3.37, p = .04, R2 = .11, R2adj = .07) and engaging meaningfully (F(2, 57) = 3.70, p = .03, R2 = .12, R2adj = .08). These are interactions that parents undergoing excessive stress engaged in more often, possibly because these interactions can take place during infant care. Finally, results showed that none of the models predicted free play, which may be due to a ceiling effect as the majority of parents scored high on this measure. The survey should be administered again in a post-pandemic environment to evaluate whether these results are related to the pandemic or represent typical parenting behaviors.

Authors

• Katherine Grace Kaufling Golway, University of Louisville
  Presenting Author

• Kolbie Ann Vincent, University of Louisville
  Non-Presenting Author

• Nonah Olesen, University of Louisville
  Non-Presenting Author

• Cara H Cashon, University of Louisville
  Non-Presenting Author