Parent-Child Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from the American Time Use Survey

ObjectivesTo examine how the time parents spent with their children changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsUsing nationally representative time-diary data from the American Time Use Survey, parents' time spent in and location of enriching (direct) and secondary (supervisory) childcare among a sample with at one child under 6 years (N = 2,862) and 6-12 years of age (N = 3,595) from May 2020 to December 2021 were compared to January 2019 to March 2020.ResultsParents' time in secondary childcare at home increased substantially. Parents with children under age 6 increased their enriching childcare time, driven by mothers. Low-income parents with children aged 6-12 showed a decrease in enriching time with children, whereas higher-income parents with school-age children showed an increase.Conclusions for PracticeParents' time in supervisory childcare increased substantially, and gender and income disparities in enriching time spent engaged with children grew. Examining parent-child time use patterns is important to understand the pandemic's effects and can provide insight on how best to support children and families during the recovery. What is already known on this subject? The COVID-19 pandemic led to school, childcare program, and business closures, increasing parents' time at home with their children, particularly among mothers and those working remotely.What this study adds? This study examined how parents' supervisory time and direct engagement with children under age 13, and the location where they spent time together, changed during the pandemic, and how these changes varied by child age and family characteristics.