Pandemic parenting: Parental emotions and preschoolers—adjustment during the <scp>COVID</scp> ‐19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Objective This study examined the emotional experiences of parents of young children (3–6 years old) during the COVID‐19 pandemic, including links between parental emotions and child social, emotional, and behavioral adjustment. Background The COVID‐19 pandemic was an emotionally complicated and challenging time for families with young children. Method Participants were 85 parents who responded to open‐ended questions about their emotions, coping, and parenting challenges at the end of the first year of the pandemic; responses were analyzed using both qualitative thematic analysis and quantitative text‐analysis approaches. Parents reported on child adjustment at three time points. Results Thematic analyses revealed variation in parents' emotions during the pandemic, including feelings of overwhelm, sadness, and frustration but also moments of resilience and connection. The emotional tone of parents' narrative responses predicted child internalizing and externalizing symptoms 1 year later, controlling for family demographic variables and child symptoms at previous timepoints. Conclusion Results contribute to our understanding of parenting emotions and early childhood social, emotional, and behavioral adjustment across the first 2 years of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Implications Findings highlight the importance of a longitudinal, emotion‐ and family‐focused approach to early childhood mental health, with implications for interventions to support families during times of crisis and social upheaval.