“Virtual Mothering”: A Study of Mothering Practices of Trinidad and Tobago Mothers Stranded Abroad After COVID-19 Border Closures

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic presented threats to the welfare of children and families due to spatial distancing measures, disruption of employment, virtual learning, changes in caregiving, and social isolation. Many studies highlighted the impact of the pandemic on the caregiving practices of mothers. However, little is known about the experiences of mothers who were separated from their children because of COVID-19 border closures. This study used a qualitative methodology to explore the lived experiences of five Trinidad and Tobago mothers stranded abroad and shows the ways in which the COVID-19 border closures altered their caregiving practices with children left behind. Findings show that mothers stranded abroad encountered several challenges in negotiating the physical distance away from their children and the ways that stranded mothers developed digital transnational mothering practices to alleviate the tensions of spatial separation from their children. Although borders have since re-opened, this article argues that the impact of separation between mothers and their children may have lasting effects. The study provides family support professionals and policymakers with an understanding of the experiences of mothers abroad and the need to lend specialized support to this vulnerable group.