Pandemic Family Traditions: What to Change and What to Keep [Survey]

Of the parents we surveyed, 80% reported that they worked from home during the pandemic, while 69% said their kids learned remotely during that time. One in 5 families had an adult child move back home, and a similar number reported that they had kids staying home from day care.

The result? Most families experienced more time together than ever before during the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, parents felt the impact of this shift the most. Fifty-eight percent of parents were somewhat stressed by this increased family interaction, and more than a third felt a lot or extreme stress as a result.

As parents dealt with an unfamiliar family landscape, they found themselves forced to come up with new routines and coping strategies. Thus, new family traditions were born.

The parents we surveyed reported a slew of new bonding activities, with some of the most popular being family walks, movie nights, group exercise, and game nights. The traditions that families leaned on the most often in their day-to-day life were family walks, followed by group exercise, and then a tie between  family or themed dinners and sharing daily experiences. Other popular activities included arts and crafts, Zoom meetings with extended family and playing video games together.

We were curious as to which of these new activities most improved family relationships. The parents we surveyed reported that family walks, family dinners, and sharing stories and daily experiences led to the most bonding. That finding makes sense given that two of the foundations of a strong parent-child relationship include eating meals together and listening/empathy.

We also asked parents about which new traditions they found the most satisfying. Here – again – family walks topped the list, but movie nights and exercising together were also strong contenders, as were family meetings and family dinners. Perhaps these activities were so powerful because they represented shared experiences, which studies have shown increase our feelings of closeness with others.

For the most part, these new activities seemed to reduce stress, with over half of parents reporting lower family stress levels after taking them up.

However, stress levels varied among parents. Parents with younger children (aged 4 and under) were more likely to say that these new family traditions increased stress. This is perhaps unsurprising, considering that parents of young children often struggle to keep their kids entertained or engaged while they themselves are trying to work from home. In contrast, parents with older, more independent children (aged 18 and up) found that the new traditions tended to ease tensions within the family.

Overall, most families found that their new traditions increased feelings of connectedness, with over 90% of parents reporting feeling more bonded with other family members. However, which of these traditions will persist now that families are emerging from their relative isolation?

The parents we surveyed said they would most likely continue with family walks, sharing stories and experiences with each other, and family dinners. The activities they anticipated phasing out included family Zoom meetings and video games – probably because a post-pandemic life will involve far less screen time and more in-person interactions.

When reflecting on which activities alleviated family stress, parents pointed to Zoom meetings and sharing daily experiences (activities that increased quality time and thoughtful communication) as well as video games, game nights, and gardening or plant care (shared experiences).

Interestingly, some of the traditions that parents said they intended to continue were associated with more stress as opposed to less. Family walks and movie nights were both reported as top activities to continue after the pandemic, despite being rated as more stress-inducing than other pastimes. Perhaps the benefits of these activities outweighed the downsides. Family meetings, book clubs, and playing music together were also more likely to be associated with an increase in stress.

The biggest change seemed to be that parents got to know their children better. A whopping 84% of parents reported that they felt they knew their children better after weathering the pandemic together.

However, the increased family closeness wasn’t always easy. More than a third of parents reported that more family interaction during the pandemic led to more arguments. This sentiment was especially strong among parents who had young children, perhaps because they were experiencing significant stressors due to economic instability and a lack of child care options.

Overall, however, the majority of parents reported that their relationships with their children had strengthened. Interestingly, 65% of men reported better relationships with their children (compared to 60% of women), which perhaps reflects the increased participation of men in family roles during the pandemic.

The majority of the parents we surveyed said they expected to become closer – or at least maintain their current level of closeness – with their children. When contemplating a return to a more normal lifestyle, many respondents expressed slight regret; 71% of parents said they would miss the increased time with their kids.

However, parents of children aged 4 and under were more ready for a break from intensive family time; more than a fifth of these parents said they wouldn’t miss the extra time with their kids. As mentioned before, given the mental and emotional burdens placed on parents of young children during the pandemic, it’s understandable that they’re looking forward to a slight respite. 

And they’re not alone in their excitement about a return to a more normal lifestyle. Over half of the parents we surveyed were excited to emerge from the pandemic’s year of isolation, although parents of children aged 9 to 12 years old were the least likely to express this sentiment.