Unlock the father–child relationship during lockdown: an investigation of socioemotional experiences of Wuhan preschool children and parents under COVID-19

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study explored the socioemotional experiences of Wuhan preschool children and their parents, focusing on father–child relationships during lockdown. Mixed methods were employed with semi-structured interviews with 12 families and an online questionnaire involving 748 parents. The results show that the parents were generally positive about the emotional experiences associated with caring for their young children all-day-long, although some parents expressed concerns about their children’s educational issues. About 62.9% of fathers and 44.7% of mothers reported an improvement in father–child relationships. Children’s gender affected the fathers’ views. The rate of positive changes in father–son relationships is significantly higher than in father–daughter relationships. The parents’ attitudes influenced children who demonstrated compliant behaviours for meeting the lockdown requirements, yet the children’s emotions presented a mixture of positive and negative components. These findings reveal the complexity of family life, which has implications for imposing lockdown policies when addressing future emergencies.