The lockdown sparked by the coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on the economy, but it has helped bring British families closer together, according to a new survey.
The poll of 2,000 British parents conducted by MumPoll found four in five parents saying their families have formed an even stronger bond since the lockdown began. Likewise, 60 percent of parents say they are happier with their partner compared to the time before the quarantine. The research website Study Finds reported on the poll.
“Being forced to halt our busy lives and spend time together in quarantine has made many of us consider what’s really important, like children, parents and the community they are part of,” said Siobhan Freegard, founder of ChannelMum.com, which commissioned the research.
“Despite the dreadful toll the pandemic is taking, people are becoming more thankful for the small pleasures in life. Coronavirus may well see us emerge a kinder community and more thankful for the things we enjoy in life.”
The survey also found, according to Study Finds:
- Half of families “are getting together to play board games and make puzzles.”
- 30 percent of parents say their families have formed book clubs and read together.
- 28 percent say their families have, for the first time, started gardening.
- 62 percent say their children are more “community-minded” than before.
- About three in four parents say their children “are tasked with getting groceries for people in their community who are vulnerable to the coronavirus.”
- 53 percent of parents say their children have picked up prescriptions for older neighbors.
- About half of parents say they “have reached out to people in isolation over the phone to offer mental health support.”
Meanwhile, nine in 10 parents say they “have a much higher respect for their children’s teachers and educators.”
“It’s quite understandable if family relationships are under a lot of strain while everyone is stuck at home together during the coronavirus lockdown,” Study Finds reported. “Yet … most families have risen above the stress to become even closer than they were before.”
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Wave Break Media
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
