Who Is Watching the Children? A Quantitative Analysis of Strategies for Reconciling Work and Parenting during Lockdown in Northern Italy

Barbara Plagg, Heidi Flarer, Andreas Conca, Christian J. Wiedermann, Adolf Engl, Giuliano Piccoliori, Sigrid Mairhofer, Verena Barbieri and Klaus Eisendle
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Barbara Plagg: Institute of General Practice and Public Health, Provincial College for Health Professions Claudiana, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Heidi Flarer: Institute of General Practice and Public Health, Provincial College for Health Professions Claudiana, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Andreas Conca: Department of Psychiatry, Bolzano Central Hospital, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Christian J. Wiedermann: Institute of General Practice and Public Health, Provincial College for Health Professions Claudiana, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Adolf Engl: Institute of General Practice and Public Health, Provincial College for Health Professions Claudiana, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Giuliano Piccoliori: Institute of General Practice and Public Health, Provincial College for Health Professions Claudiana, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Sigrid Mairhofer: Department of Applied Social Sciences, Munich University of Applied Sciences, 80335 München, Germany
Verena Barbieri: Institute of General Practice and Public Health, Provincial College for Health Professions Claudiana, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Klaus Eisendle: Institute of General Practice and Public Health, Provincial College for Health Professions Claudiana, 39100 Bolzano, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 21, 1-11

Abstract: (1) Background: In their efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, most countries closed schools and kindergartens. To date, little is known about the strategies of working families reconciling work and parenting during repeated lockdown situations. (2) Methods: We performed a quantitative survey of working parents in Italy during a week of ‘hard lockdown’ in February/March 2021. (3) Results: 3725 voluntary adult participants from different households responded. Though officially not allowed, 53.4% of all participants sought help from people outside the nuclear family to bridge the situation, mostly the grandparents (79%; n = 1855). Overall, parental coping strategies included alternating working–childcare-turns with their partner (35%, n = 1316), working early in the morning or during nighttime (23%; n = 850), or leaving the children unattended (25%, n = 929). (4) Conclusions: The closure of schools/kindergartens forcefully shifts the responsibility for childcare onto the nuclear family, where new strategies arose, including health-damaging models of alternating work–childcare-shifts, ‘illegal’ involvement of third parties from outside the nuclear family, as well as neglect of age-related childcare. Our findings underline that working families need additional support strategies during repeated closure of childcare institutions to be able to reduce contact and minimize secondary damage.

Keywords: COVID-19; lockdown; family health; public health; health inequities; education; prevention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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