Parenting in a Time of COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is changing family life. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization estimates 1·38 billion children are out of school or child care, without access to group activities, team sports, or playgrounds. Parents and caregivers are attempting to work remotely or unable to work, while caring for children, with no clarity on how long the situation will last. For many people, just keeping children busy and safe at home is a daunting prospect. For those living in low-income and crowded households, these challenges are exacerbated. This has serious implications. Evidence shows that violence and vulnerability increase for children during periods of school closures associated with health emergencies.1Rothe D Gallinetti J Lagaay M Campbell L Ebola: beyond the health emergency. Plan International, Monrovia, Liberia2015Google Scholar Rates of reported child abuse rise during school closures. Parents and children are living with increased stress, media hype, and fear, all challenging our capacity for tolerance and long-term thinking. For many, the economic impact of the crisis increases parenting stress, abuse, and violence against children. But times of hardship can also allow for creative opportunity: to build stronger relationships with our children and adolescents. WHO, UNICEF, the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, the United States Agency for International Development USAID, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Parenting for Lifelong Health, and the UK Research and Innovation Global Challenges Research Fund Accelerating Achievement for Africa's Adolescents Hub are collaborating to provide openaccess online parenting resources during COVID-19. These resources focus on concrete tips to build positive relationships, divert and manage bad behaviour, and manage parenting stress. They are shared through social media, and they are accessible on non-smartphones through the Internet of Good Things. A team of international volunteers are producing translations in 55 languages. Importantly, these parenting resources are based on robust evidence from randomised controlled trials in low-income and middle-income countries.2Cluver L Meinck F Steinert J et al.Parenting for Lifelong Health: a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial of a non-commercialised parenting programme for adolescents and their families in South Africa.BMJ Global Health. 2018; 3e000539Crossref Scopus (125) Google Scholar, 3Ward CL Wessels IM Lachman JM et al.Parenting for Lifelong Health for Young Children: a randomized controlled trial of a parenting program in South Africa to prevent harsh parenting and child conduct problems.J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2020; 61: 503-512Crossref PubMed Scopus (75) Google Scholar, 4Vally Z Murray L Tomlinson M Cooper PJ The impact of dialogic book-sharing training on infant language and attention: a randomized controlled trial in a deprived South African community.J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2015; 56: 865-873Crossref PubMed Scopus (96) Google Scholar COVID-19 is not the first virus to threaten humanity, and it will not be the last. We need to utilise effective strategies to strengthen families to respond, care, and protect a future for the world's children.5Clark H Coll-Seck AM Banerjee A et al.A future for the world's children? A WHO-UNICEF-Lancet Commission.Lancet. 2020; 395: 605-658Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (524) Google Scholar For WHO's information on parenting in the time of COVID-19 see https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novelcoronavirus-2019/advice-forpublic/healthy-parentingFor UNICEF's tips for parenting during the COVID-19 outbreak see https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/covid-19-parentingtipsFor Parenting for Lifelong Health's COVID-19 resources see https://www.covid19parenting.com/For CDC's guidance for schools see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/guidance-for-schools.html For WHO's information on parenting in the time of COVID-19 see https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novelcoronavirus-2019/advice-forpublic/healthy-parenting For UNICEF's tips for parenting during the COVID-19 outbreak see https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/covid-19-parentingtips For Parenting for Lifelong Health's COVID-19 resources see https://www.covid19parenting.com/ For CDC's guidance for schools see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/guidance-for-schools.html This online publication has been corrected. The corrected version first appeared at thelancet.com on April 9, 2020 This online publication has been corrected. The corrected version first appeared at thelancet.com on April 9, 2020 We declare no competing interests Department of ErrorCluver L, Lachman JM, Sherr L, et al. Parenting in a time of COVID-19. Lancet 2020; 395: e64—In this Correspondence, Gretchen Bachman's affiliation should have been "Department of Orphans and Vulnerable Children, United States Agency for International Development, Washington, DC, USA". This correction has been made to the online version as of April 9, 2020. Full-Text PDF