Barriers and benefits of primary caregivers' involvement in children's education during COVID-19 school closures

Mental health problems of preschool children during the COVID-19 home quarantine: A cross-sectional study in Shanghai, China

“…Therefore, parents’ involvement may be a key to reducing preschool children’s emotional distress during the COVID-19 quarantine. However, a study by Zhang (2021) found that primary caregivers of preschool children spent less time on their children’s education at home during the pandemic than they were before. Because pandemic-related emotional symptoms may not be immediately apparent, they will likely be detected after a period of time, and we need to identify these symptoms as soon as possible.…”

“…To counter the spread of COVID-19, China has implemented a number of measures, including home quarantines, home working, and school closure, resulting in parents having unprecedented amounts of time at home with their children. Parents’ higher involvement has been associated with children’s lower levels of emotional distress, including anxiety/withdrawal, fearfulness, and acting out ( Zhang, 2021 ). Therefore, parents’ involvement may be a key to reducing preschool children’s emotional distress during the COVID-19 quarantine.…”

Caregivers’ perceived changes in engaged time with preschool-aged children during COVID-19: Familial correlates and relations to children's learning behavior and emotional distress

“…As of 4 August 2021, it had caused over 200 million confirmed infections and over 4 million deaths ( Johns Hopkins University, 2021 ). It has led to stringent containment measures, such as school closures, home quarantine, and work-from-home arrangements, in many countries ( Zhang, 2021 ). From a life course perspective, the pandemic has affected many aspects of family life, including caregivers’ allocation of engaged time to their children.…”

“…Even after the lockdown, preschools in Wuhan, including those in this study, did not reopen until September 2020. Although school closures disrupted education and care for children of various ages, they might have been especially challenging for preschool-aged children, who typically do not have strong self-care abilities and often have trouble concentrating and sustaining attention on task ( Zhang, 2021 ). Unlike primary and secondary schools, moreover, preschools were strictly prohibited by the Ministry of Education of China (2020b) from conducting online teaching during school closures.…”

“…Unlike primary and secondary schools, moreover, preschools were strictly prohibited by the Ministry of Education of China (2020b) from conducting online teaching during school closures. Consequently, nearly all responsibilities of educating and caring for preschool-aged children shifted to their caregivers ( Zhang, 2022 ). These circumstances may explain why the primary caregivers who participated in this study generally perceived increases in the amount of indoor engaged time spent playing, disciplining, and reading to their preschool-aged children.…”