Raising a Young Child During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The aim of the article is to reflect on selected aspects of raising young children (before starting school education) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article cites selected results of own research - in-depth interviews with mothers of young children in 2021. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the upbringing of young children has changed significantly. The benefits for the whole family and its individual members include, among others: increasing the involvement of mothers and fathers in caring for children in upbringing, strengthening ties in the nuclear family, including ties between siblings. But also during the pandemic, children's contacts with their grandparents, with their peers, and opportunities to spend time together outside the home were limited. Parents tried to protect children from the negative effects of the pandemic by supporting their development, trying to provide them with attractions at home, outdoor activities, telephone or online contacts with their grandparents, but also by simply accompanying them during this difficult time.