How COVID-19 Affected Parenting in a Multi-City Sample With Low Incomes

Abstract

We combined data from five cohorts of mothers of young children across three cities to understand how COVID-19 affected parenting among predominantly Black and Latine families with low incomes. We examined whether mothers reported that their parenting got worse, got better, or stayed the same; drew on a qualitative substudy to identify themes describing parenting experiences; and used quantitative data to identify psychosocial characteristics associated with changes in parenting. Forty-four percent of mothers reported their parenting stayed the same after COVID-19 onset, 32% reported improvements, and 24% reported their parenting got worse. Qualitative data illustrated that mothers whose parenting got better spent more and higher-quality time with children, whereas mothers whose parenting got worse did not maintain family routines, had financial worries, and exhibited harsh responses to child problem behaviors. Quantitative data showed that depression, social support, COVID-19-related distress, and parenting self-agency were all associated with reported changes in parenting.