Parental Anxiety, Practices, and Parent–Child Relationships among Families with Young Children in China: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

This study explored the ambiguous characteristics and influencing factors of parental anxiety, practices, and parent–child relationships among families with young children during a sudden COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai, China. An online survey was conducted from 1 June to 10 November 2022, with 477 valid responses. Parental anxiety, practices, and parent–child relationships were evaluated. During this lockdown, 72.6% caregivers felt anxious about parenting to different degrees, with only a small proportion experiencing extreme anxiety. Parental anxiety was mainly influenced by whether the caregivers faced parenting issues and external parenting difficulties. The frequency of two-parent–child activities of reading books or looking at picture books with their children and telling stories to them significantly increased. Caregivers’ occupations of either professional or technical personnel and working from home were the most significant influencing factors. Mother–child relationships were relatively good. In conclusion, parental anxiety, practices, and parent–child relationships were relatively good and stable among families with young children during this lockdown. In the context of public health emergencies like COVID-19, more parenting support and knowledge should be provided to caregivers from professionals in CHCs or hospitals to decrease parental anxiety and improve parent–child relationships. Full advantage should be taken of working from home to promote parent–child activities.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• parenting
• anxiety
• parent–child activity
• parent–child relationship