Exploring the lived experiences of women with children during COVID-19: Maternal stress and coping mechanisms.

• Mothers have experienced a significant amount of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home orders in the US, which can have major implications for children's health and development; attention should be paid to developmental timing and unfolding of developmental trajectories following this pandemic. • Mothers have used a variety of strategies to cope; as more parents navigate social disruptions, they may benefit from additional resources and supports, such as innovations in childcare modalities, paid leave policies, and strengthening whole family processes using adaptive coping mechanisms. • Mothers with low income and/or children with special needs may experience more vulnerability to the sequalae of the pandemic; it is important to provide financial security, mental health, and educational and social support to relieve stress during the pandemic. This paper presents the results of a qualitative study of mothers' lived experiences during the COVID-19 lockdown in the United States. An analysis of open-ended interviews with 44 mothers who had children ages zero-to-five identified two main themes: (1) increased stress among mothers; and (2) resilience through the use of coping mechanisms. The findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to higher stress among mothers due to issues of work-family life balance, family and children's needs, decision-making about getting sick, concerns for children's development, and lack of clarity from government officials. Mothers described using a variety of problem-focused and emotion-focused methods to cope with this stress. The lived experiences of mothers during the pandemic highlights the need for innovations in childcare modalities, paid leave policies to relieve stress, and strengthening whole family processes and resilience through the use of coping mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]