Work arrangements and father involvement during COVID-19 lockdown: A mixed methods study

Objective: This study aimed to examine how father involvement and family relationships changed during the COVID-19 lockdown and their relations to fathers' work arrangements. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed how parents arrange their work and family in China and elsewhere. Many fathers, once working long hours at the workplace, had to adjust their work arrangements, working reduced hours or working from home. Method: This study used a mixed methods design. Participants were parents of preschool or school-age children in China. In Study 1,31 mothers were interviewed about the change in father involvement and family relationships during the COVID-19 lockdown compared with pre-COVID19. In Study 2, a sample of father-mother dyads (TV = 637) completed survey measures of work arrangements, father involvement, and family relationships. Results: Study 1 suggested increased father involvement and improved family relationships amid the lockdown and highlighted the role of fathers' work. Study 2 revealed that fathers' changed work arrangements (i.e., working from home) were associated with higher father involvement and more positive family relationships during the lockdown. Father involvement may mediate the associations between fathers' work arrangements and father-child closeness as well as mothers' marital satisfaction. Conclusion and Implications: Working from home could promote involved fathering and stronger family relationships, strengthening the family's overall capacity to combat the stressors and challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.