Persistent Disruption, Persistent Stress? Parental Burden During Late Pandemic Schooling

During late 2021 in Germany (November–December), we conducted a quantitative cross-sectional study of parents ( N = 180) during the third wave of school closures. Parental stress was assessed with a global single item and a brief PSI-adapted index of distance-learning stress. Using Spearman's rank correlations and Kruskal–Wallis tests, parental stress correlated strongly with time-related stress (ρ = −.52, p < .001). Parents assisting with schoolwork for ≥3 hr per weekday reported higher stress than those assisting for <1 hr (Kruskal–Wallis H(2) = 6.16, p = .046); 38.3% scored ≥3 (“rather/very much”) on the global stress item. Structural markers showed limited associations. Findings align most closely with transactional appraisal-and-coping perspectives and highlight the value of support that reduces time pressure and stabilizes school routines for families.