Parent engagement at home with children during a pandemic

• In Event: Children, Screens, and COVID-19: Early Findings from Longitudinal, Interdisciplinary, Multi-Institutional Studies

Abstract

Introduction: Children’s early home environments and the ways in which parents interact with them have significant impacts on their health and well-being (Bradley et al., 1989). Stressors on parents, such as financial strain and poor mental health can reduce the quality of home environments and the ways in which parents interact with their children (Prickett, 2020; Claessens, et al., 2015). During the COVID-19 pandemic, children’s homes became their exclusive environment and parents their main source of interactions. At the same time, many parents experienced increased financial strain (Brown et al, in press) and increased feelings of stress, sadness and anxiety (Wilson et al., 2020). These contextual stressors may undermine the ability of parents to meet their children’s needs. Using data collected during the pandemic we ask: (1) What are the types of home learning activities, including screen time, of young children during the pandemic? (2) How do parental stressors (i.e., feelings of financial strain, stress, depression and anxiety) relate to learning activities while at home?

Method: Mothers and fathers (n=233), who are part of a longitudinal bilingual parenting intervention, were surveyed in English or Spanish about their feelings and parenting practices during social distancing policies. See table 1 for sample characteristics.

Results: The majority of parents reported engaging in different types of cognitive-supporting activities such as playing, reading, singing songs or telling stories daily. Most parents (80%) also reported going for walks least a few times a week. However, 60% of parents also reported using a screen device (smartphone, tablet, or iPad) to distract their child at least some of the time and almost half of parents reported using these devices to calm children when they were crying or upset. Slightly more than half of parents reported having the TV on, even when no one was watching it. On average, children watched 3 hours of television a day, with a range from 0-14 hours. For many, the emotional climate of the home was strained. Almost half of parents reported loss of job or hours and having difficulty paying bills and affording basic needs such as food and diapers. The majority of families reported high levels of stress, including financial strain and feelings of sadness and angst. Parents who reported greater feelings of sadness and anxiety also reported having their child watch television alone more than parents with fewer symptoms and their children spent more time using devices in an average day. Parents, especially fathers, that reported higher levels of financial strain were less likely to play with their children or take them for walks.

Discussion
These findings underscore the myriad challenges parents face during the current pandemic. Unsurprisingly, increased financial and mental health struggles are associated with less engagement with children, and for some parents, might increase the likelihood of using screened devices (TV, tablets) as distractors. Given the importance of parent-child interactions and stimulating home environments, efforts should be made to support those parents at home with children, while experiencing fiscal and emotional struggles.

Authors

• Stephanie M Reich, University of California - Irvine
  Presenting Author

• Natasha J Cabrera, University of Maryland - College Park
  Non-Presenting Author