Parents’ Perceptions of Children’s Behavioral Difficulties and the Parent–Child Interaction During the COVID-19 Lockdown

• Published in: Journal of family issues Vol. 44; no. 3; pp. 725 - 744
• Main Authors: Laufer, Avital, Bitton, Mally Shechory
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.03.2023; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Children; Coping; COVID-19; Parents & parenting; Perceptions; Psychological distress; Resilience; Shelter in place; COVID-19; stress; resilience; mental health; Parents
• ISSN: 0192-513X; 1552-5481
• DOI: 10.1177/0192513X211054460

The study examined parents’ perceptions of their children’s behavioral difficulties (CBD) and positive parent–child interaction (PCI) during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Israel, as well as the associations among parents’ psychological distress, parents’ COVID-19–related worries, parents’ coping, and parents’ resilience. Participants were 437 parents of minor children. Parents reported more behavioral and emotional difficulties alongside with more quality time with their children. Parents’ distress and COVID-19–related worries were positively related to CBD. Emotion-focused coping mediated the association between psychological distress and CBD, while resilience mediated the association between distress and PCI. The study results indicated that parents perceived their children as having greater difficulties, but they also perceived more positive parent–child interactions, during the lockdown. Parents’ distress appears to have been a significant variable in perceived child’s difficulties during the lockdown.