THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN ON CHILDREN’S DAILY ROUTINES IN TÜRKİYE

Recent studies have pointed out that children were among those affected by the changes that COVID-19 restrictions brought to daily life. This study aims to explore how children’s routines of sleep, diet, exercise, and technology use changed during the lockdown of COVID-19, which in Türkiye was enacted between March 16th and June 1st of 2020. An online questionnaire was answered by 323 parents of children aged 4 to 12. Regression analysis was used to examine the ways in which demographics, resources, and activities correlated with parents’ perceptions of activities. The findings indicated that the amount of change in children’s daily routines was predicted more strongly by how their parents felt about their activities than by the other factors examined. Our findings will contribute to an understanding of the ways in which the COVID-19 restrictions affected children’s routines, and assist parents, teachers, and policymakers in their efforts to provide support for children.