Families in Corona times
Hanna Helder studied German language and literature at the Albert Ludwig University in Freiburg. In addition to her studies, she has gained a lot of experience in radio and print journalism through internships and freelance work.She has been at the Burda School of Journalism since October 2018 and writes, among other things, as a trainee for
More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.Home office, homeschooling or short-time work: Due to the pandemic, many families spend far more time together than before. According to a survey, fathers recognize how stressful childcare is, while mothers would like more support in the household.
Before the Corona crisis, the job was the greatest stress factor for fathers; in the pandemic, it is the children. This is the result of two Forsa surveys commissioned by the Kaufmännische Krankenkasse (KKH). 42 percent of the men surveyed in April and May with children under the age of 18 stated that they were under pressure because of the upbringing and care of the offspring. 36 percent described their training or their job as particularly stressful at the moment. In November 2019, almost half of all fathers stated that they were exposed to high levels of stress at work. Only a third of the men felt stressed about the children at the time.
Mothers see themselves as more burdened
For mothers, however, the weighting of stress factors has hardly changed since the beginning of the pandemic: Already in 2019 around half felt stressed by the upbringing and care, around a third because of the job. Overall, however, mothers feel that the crisis is much more burdened than fathers. Almost every second woman (44 percent) is currently very often or frequently under stress, according to their own statements, and only one in three men (32 percent).
Parents want financial support
Half of the parents surveyed would like additional financial support against the stress of the Corona crisis. For a third, more flexible working conditions and more recognition from the employer would be helpful. While a good half of women would like more help around the house, this point is important for just under a quarter of men. 37 percent of women long for more support in raising children, but only 22 percent of men.
Single mothers particularly affected
Several scientific studies suggest that mothers are particularly stressed during the pandemic. The Mannheim Corona Study, for example, records how tense, nervous or worried people are. "While these feelings are declining in all family forms, since the beginning of April single parents have been the only group in which tension and nervousness are increasing again and are now highest in comparison to other family forms," said sociologist Katja Möhring, an author of the study German press agency. Single parents are predominantly women.
Mothers bear the brunt of the burden
In addition, mothers working from home would have restricted their working hours much more than fathers, even if they had previously worked full-time. "Mothers therefore bear the brunt of the current situation," Möhring is convinced. The economic and social science institute (WSI) of the union-related Hans Böckler Foundation also came to the conclusion in a study that women in particular take on the additional childcare. (hh / dpa)
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