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Who Is Watching the Children? A Quantitative Analysis of Strategies for Reconciling Work and Parenting during Lockdown in Northern Italy

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  • Barbara Plagg

    (Institute of General Practice and Public Health, Provincial College for Health Professions Claudiana, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
    Faculty of Education, Free University of Bolzano Bozen, 39100 Bolzano, Italy)

  • Heidi Flarer

    (Institute of General Practice and Public Health, Provincial College for Health Professions Claudiana, 39100 Bolzano, Italy)

  • Andreas Conca

    (Department of Psychiatry, Bolzano Central Hospital, 39100 Bolzano, Italy)

  • Christian J. Wiedermann

    (Institute of General Practice and Public Health, Provincial College for Health Professions Claudiana, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
    Department of Public Health, Medical Decision Making and HTA, University of Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, 6060 Hall in Tyrol, Austria)

  • Adolf Engl

    (Institute of General Practice and Public Health, Provincial College for Health Professions Claudiana, 39100 Bolzano, Italy)

  • Giuliano Piccoliori

    (Institute of General Practice and Public Health, Provincial College for Health Professions Claudiana, 39100 Bolzano, Italy)

  • Sigrid Mairhofer

    (Department of Applied Social Sciences, Munich University of Applied Sciences, 80335 München, Germany)

  • Verena Barbieri

    (Institute of General Practice and Public Health, Provincial College for Health Professions Claudiana, 39100 Bolzano, Italy)

  • Klaus Eisendle

    (Institute of General Practice and Public Health, Provincial College for Health Professions Claudiana, 39100 Bolzano, Italy)

Abstract

(1) Background: In their efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, most countries closed schools and kindergartens. To date, little is known about the strategies of working families reconciling work and parenting during repeated lockdown situations. (2) Methods: We performed a quantitative survey of working parents in Italy during a week of ‘hard lockdown’ in February/March 2021. (3) Results: 3725 voluntary adult participants from different households responded. Though officially not allowed, 53.4% of all participants sought help from people outside the nuclear family to bridge the situation, mostly the grandparents (79%; n = 1855). Overall, parental coping strategies included alternating working–childcare-turns with their partner (35%, n = 1316), working early in the morning or during nighttime (23%; n = 850), or leaving the children unattended (25%, n = 929). (4) Conclusions: The closure of schools/kindergartens forcefully shifts the responsibility for childcare onto the nuclear family, where new strategies arose, including health-damaging models of alternating work–childcare-shifts, ‘illegal’ involvement of third parties from outside the nuclear family, as well as neglect of age-related childcare. Our findings underline that working families need additional support strategies during repeated closure of childcare institutions to be able to reduce contact and minimize secondary damage.

Suggested Citation

  • Barbara Plagg & Heidi Flarer & Andreas Conca & Christian J. Wiedermann & Adolf Engl & Giuliano Piccoliori & Sigrid Mairhofer & Verena Barbieri & Klaus Eisendle, 2021. "Who Is Watching the Children? A Quantitative Analysis of Strategies for Reconciling Work and Parenting during Lockdown in Northern Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-11, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:21:p:11174-:d:663743
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jessica Zamberletti & Giulia Cavrini & Cecilia Tomassini, 2018. "Grandparents providing childcare in Italy," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 265-275, September.
    2. Edlira Narazani & Francesco Figari, 2017. "Female labour supply and childcare in Italy," JRC Working Papers on Taxation & Structural Reforms 2017-02, Joint Research Centre.
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    1. Verena Barbieri & Christian Josef Wiedermann & Anne Kaman & Michael Erhart & Giuliano Piccoliori & Barbara Plagg & Angelika Mahlknecht & Dietmar Ausserhofer & Adolf Engl & Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer, 2022. "Quality of Life and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents after the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Large Population-Based Survey in South Tyrol, Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-18, April.

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