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Objective: The present study provides descriptive results on parents' mental health, ambiguous loss, stress, and parent–child relationship as well as child stress and children's emotion regulation abilities. Additionally, we present initial psychometric results and preliminary regression findings from a quantitative ambiguous loss measure. Background: The COVID‐19 pandemic has led to more than one million deaths in the United States and subsequent mental health difficulties for parents and children. Method: Data were collected from 134 participants (MParentAge = 39.1 years; 54.5% women; MChildAge = 9.4 years) in early May 2021. Analyses examined group differences of longitudinal findings over a year‐long period, parents' gender, and financial needs. Results: Moderate levels of COVID‐19–specific stress as well as general stress in both parents and children were found. Women reported higher levels of closeness among the parent–child dyad, and parents whose financial needs were not met reported significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression. A liner regression indicated that 44.3% of the variance in ambiguous loss can be explained by COVID‐19 specific stress and depression. Conclusion: Individuals and families are still experiencing difficulties after the COVID‐19 pandemic, as seen through the descriptives presented. Additionally, ambiguous loss can be predicted by these experiences. Implications: Long‐term information about individual and family experiences after a year of the COVID‐19 pandemic highlights important experiences of generalized stress in both parents and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This work aimed to analyze the role of family conflict on children's emotion regulation and stress outcomes during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Background: The COVID‐19 pandemic brought novel stress to families. The stress experienced could impact family relationships—specifically, perceptions of closeness and patterns of conflict. Positive family environment and high‐quality family relationships are associated with adaptive coping and lower levels of stress among children. Method: Data were collected online from 110 participants at baseline and again 30 days later. Associations between parent–child relationship, sibling relationships, and child stress and emotion regulation outcomes 30 days later were tested through multiple stepwise regression. Results: Both significant regression models suggest that parent–child conflict is the strongest predictor of child stress and negativity over the 30‐day assessment period. Sibling conflict predicted child stress but not negativity. Conclusion: Family conflict during the COVID‐19 pandemic influenced children's emotion regulation outcomes as seen through significant associations between child–parent conflict, sibling conflict, perceived child stress, and children's negativity. Implications: Family scientists and practitioners should consider interventions that help parents teach their children how to cope with their own stresses and emotions after conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]