A recent survey by scientists at Northwestern University and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago has shown that during the COVID-19 pandemic, 40 percent of parents who worked from home felt more stressed about parenting, while only 27 percent of those who worked at their workplace reported the same.

The study also revealed a difference between fathers and mothers. Dads who worked remotely were twice as likely to find parenting stressful all or most of the time compared to fathers working on-site. Mothers working from home had slightly higher parenting stress, but the difference wasn’t significant.

Interestingly, the study didn’t find any variations in the mental or overall health of parents, whether they worked remotely or on-site.

Parenting stress

“Our survey results show that teleworking during the pandemic was associated with more parenting stress, especially for fathers,” the researchers explain. “This might be a reflection of societal expectations that men should prioritize work obligations over family needs, which creates additional stress for fathers working from home.”

The researchers suggest that parents should think about their family and work setup and aim for an arrangement that reduces stress and supports well-being. This could involve basic steps like using a noise-canceling device in the workspace, adjusting schedules to minimize interruptions, and making time for parents to take breaks from work to spend quality time with their children.

“Employers could provide support to fathers by offering more flexibility and recognizing that both parents need more work/life balance,” the authors conclude. “Employers also could encourage parents who work from home, especially men, to take advantage of employee assistance programs if they are experiencing high levels of stress. This is important, since parents’ stress is linked to negative parental health and child developmental outcomes.”