Stress of the COVID-19 pandemic: South African parents’ adaptation and coping strategies in response to a change in daily life

This study explored South African parents with preschoolers’ experiences of coping and adapting to stress and changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fifteen parents of preschoolers were purposively recruited into the study between October 2022 and May 2023. Using semi-structured interviews, we explored their experiences of stress and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed using ATLAS.ti. Themes comprising parental experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic included changes to daily life due to COVID-19 restrictions, parental adaptation to changing schedules and parental coping strategies. This study adds to knowledge on how parents adapted to the pandemic as a stressor and identifies areas for future research.