Valparaiso University professor launches website to help parents with pandemic parenting

Dr. Amanda Zelechoski, associate professor of psychology at Valparaiso University, has spent her career researching the effects of early traumatic experiences on children and teens. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Dr. Zelechoski recognized right away that the stress of the pandemic, along with the shutdowns and changes to routine, would take a toll on the mental health of children. She teamed up with Dr. Lindsay Malloy, associate professor at Ontario Tech University, to provide tools to parents to help children navigate feelings of stress and uncertainty. In the early stages of the pandemic, the two professors began conducting research studies to investigate the immediate effects of the pandemic on the mental health of children and parents. The research continued to analyze how the responses changed as the pandemic lingered.

Dr. Zelechoski and Dr. Malloy, both parents themselves, felt the strains of parenting early in the pandemic and recognized the potential for trauma and increased stress on parents and families. They created a website, Pandemic Parenting, to offer advice for parents for understanding the effects of the pandemic on children and strategies for maintaining good mental health for the whole family. A founding principle of the website was to bring the results of their research to the public quickly, which is not typically the pace of published academic research. The site includes articles about the decision whether or not to send kids back to in-person school, navigating pregnancy and chronic illness during a pandemic, and processing grief. Visitors can also register to attend webinars hosted by Dr. Zelechoski and Dr. Malloy as they consult other experts in psychology. Upcoming webinars will address the upcoming holiday season, co-parenting and single parenting, and how to handle screen time with all the extra time at home.

One emphasis of the research has been on self-care during a pandemic. One concerning issue has been people getting out of the habit of seeking routine medical care. What started as a desire to adhere to stay-at-home guidelines, has become a habit of putting off what could be essential care. Dr. Zelechoski stresses that we need to adapt that thinking as we are looking at a pandemic with no clear end in sight. She recommends that parents regularly check in with their health care providers, no matter if that contact is in person or by telemedicine.

Parents can also find advice on how to talk to kids about the pandemic in developmentally appropriate ways that will keep them informed without traumatizing them. Another resource on the website addresses the feelings of inadequacy that many parents feel, particularly during this time when routines have been upended. In an interview with the New York Times, Dr. Zelechoski discussed the phenomenon of "decision fatigue" which is increasingly common for parents who, on top of the usual strains of parenting choices, are facing many additional difficult decisions about schooling, family contact, and balancing physical and mental health. "It's just not sustainable and it really will start to take a toll," she said, emphasizing that it is important for parents to allow themselves some grace.

Dr. Zelechoski intends to continue to develop resources for parents to help cope with the pandemic and its effects on children, parents, and communities. As she states in a news release by Valparaiso University, "The emotional fallout [of the pandemic] will be long-term. As long as the project is helpful and needed, we'll keep doing it."