Balancing acts: Parental coping and adaptation during COVID-19 in Türkiye

Ahmet Simsar; Mehmet Akif Karaman; Halil Ibrahim Sarı

doi:10.37291/2717638X.202451338

Authors

Ahmet Simsar Sharjah Education Academy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4335-8788
Mehmet Akif Karaman American University of the Middle East https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7405-5133
Halil Ibrahim Sarı Texas A&M University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7506-9000

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37291/2717638X.202451338

Keywords:

Parents, COVID-19 pandemic, Life balance, Children, Supports

Abstract

The global health crisis, COVID-19, swiftly enveloped people all around the world. Upon the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 as a pandemic, numerous countries have determined their own road maps. The main purpose of this study was to understand the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the life balance of parents with children aged 0-6 years in Türkiye. This study was a cross-sectional design. The data was collected from 514 parents who have at least one child at the age of 6 or less. Results showed that there were several direct and indirect relationships between demographic measures (gender, age, educational status, number of children in home and employment status of parents), mediating variables (self-rated measures such as support from distance learning, support from others), and endogenous variables (life balance variables). The findings of the study showed that “new normal” has entailed potential job losses for some individuals and changed perspectives and delivery methods of education. The findings also highlighted the importance of parents’ engagement into education for understanding and helping children’s development.

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