The COVID-19 pandemic has financial and emotional impacts on families. We explored how caregivers’ financial strain and mental health are associated with changes in their young children’s behavior during the pandemic. We additionally considered whether having a sense of purpose moderated these associations. Caregivers ( n = 300) in the emergency department of a children’s hospital were surveyed anonymously about changes to their employment (e.g., reduced/increased hours and job loss), ability to pay for expenses and whether their child’s behavior had changed. Aligned with the Family Stress Model, caregivers’ financial strain was associated with poor mental health, inconsistent sleep routines, and changes in children’s problematic and prosocial behaviors. A sense of purpose buffered some of these relationships. Families are differently affected by the pandemic and our findings underscore the need for supporting caregivers’ mental health and connecting them with resources.

Objective: To gain insight into the extent of body mass index (BMI) change during an academic year for children with overweight or obesity at entry to an early learning programme with nutrition and physical activity components ( Head Start). We explored whether meeting with families to discuss weight and nutrition and age of entry in the programme were associated with movement towards healthy weight via a reduction in BMI. Design: Quantitative analyses of administrative Head Start data of children aged 3–5 years old who entered the programme with a BMI labelled as overweight or obese. Setting: Children who participated in a Head Start early learning programme in the Southwest USA. Method: Descriptive analyses of BMI changes over the Head Start programme year. Ordinary least square regression analyses were run to explore whether a meeting with a family regarding their child’s weight and nutrition (i.e. a family service event) and age of entry predicted BMI change over the programme year. Results: Children with BMI labelled as overweight or obese, on average, reduced BMI over the academic year. Unexpectedly, having a family service event was related to an increase in BMI over the school year. Earlier age of entry predicted reduced BMI over the programme year. Conclusion: Head Start programming appears well suited to support decreases in prevalence of childhood obesity and that earlier entry was better. A meeting with families regarding their child’s weight and nutrition predicted an increase in BMI, though several factors indicated the need for more nuanced research on the types and intensity of these events.

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How women experience pregnancy as uplifting or a hassle is related to their mental and physical health and birth outcomes. Pregnancy during a pandemic introduces new hassles, but may offer benefits that could affect how women perceive their pregnancy. Surveying 118 ethnically and racially diverse pregnant women, we explore (1) women’s traditional and pandemic-related pregnancy uplifts and hassles and (2) how these experiences of pregnancy relate to their feelings of loneliness, positivity, depression, and anxiety. Regressions show that women who experience more intense feelings of uplifts than hassles also feel more positive, less lonely, and have better mental health. Findings suggest that focusing on positive aspects of being pregnant, in general and during a pandemic, might be beneficial for pregnant women’s mental health.