Collaborative Parenting: Fatherhood and Motherhood Role Transformations Amidst COVID-19 Crisis and Implication on Child Well-being in Mukono District, Uganda

The major occurrences of COVID-19 in Uganda and their impact on parental roles in Uganda are not negligible. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, with in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, this study interrogated how collaborative parenting influenced motherhood and fatherhood role transformations amidst the COVID-19 crisis and its implication on child well-being in Mukono district, Uganda. While global literature documents these changes since the 18th century, empirical evidence in Africa, particularly Uganda, is limited. Conducted in the Nakisunga sub-county and Goma division, findings indicate that pre-existing parental role constructions influenced role evolution during the pandemic, affecting child well-being differently depending on whether parents fulfilled roles individually or collaboratively. The study highlights the importance of collaborative parental roles. Recommendations and implications of the theory are embedded