Photovoice Study of Parenting Young Children During Pandemic

ABSTRACTDespite being at a lower risk of getting infected by the coronavirus, young children are still at a high risk of various threats that could hamper their development. During the pandemic, young children are vulnerable to multi-dimensional poverty and are also exposed to the risks of violence, especially for those living in poor neighborhoods. This study aimed to explore the experience of mothers in parenting their young children during the COVID-19 pandemic in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Data was gathered from 12 mothers of young children using the photovoice method. Thematic analysis revealed three main themes, which are the rewards and punishment system, focuses on children’s manner and attitude, and increased roles of caregivers in parenting. As parenting becomes difficult over time during the pandemic, mothers need support from their immediate neighborhood to provide quality nurture and care for young children.KEYWORDS: COVID-19 pandemicparentingphotovoiceyoung children AcknowledgmentsThe authors would like to thank Maria Fallo, Bonita Mbeo, Feny Ratu, and Claudia Sidi for their assistance in the data collection of this study.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)