Family Mealtime Experience of Traditional Fathers Post-COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

In 2020, COVID-19 impacted the world and transformed the way individuals and families operated and functioned daily. Lockdowns and restrictions forced families to stay home and find alternative ways of providing and living concerning employment, education, and family functioning. One particular area impacted by this phenomenon was how families operated and conducted family meals. During COVID-19, increases in family mealtime were seen to take place but little evidence was found regarding the quality of these mealtimes, the father’s experience, and what family functioning looked like after COVID-19. While family functioning and mealtimes during COVID-19 have been examined and analyzed over the last few years, further research was needed to expound on the impact COVID-19 had on family mealtime functioning once the restrictions and lockdowns were lifted. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and explore the family mealtime experience and family functioning post-COVID-19 through the lived experiences of traditional fathers from nuclear families. Traditional fathers with at least one child between the ages of 12 and 17 were interviewed at a disclosed location or telecommunication software. Based on the key framework of the Family Systems Theory, this phenomenological study collected and analyzed the data through recording, and transcribing, implemented an interpretative phenomenological analysis and utilized prolonged engagement, coding, member checking, and reflexivity to ensure trustworthiness in the research.