The COVID-19 pandemic has had a singular impact on children and families by disrupting

routines, altering relationships and roles, and altering routine activities like child care, school,

and leisure time. Research on the effects of COVID-19 on families may be aided by

comprehending these changes from the parents' perspectives. Families all over the country

are adjusting to the changes, difficulties, and effects of home-schooling and lockdown. As a

result, the purpose of this essay is to evaluate how Covid 19 has affected family ties in

Zimbabwe. Family relationships and Covid 19 will be defined.

According to Alzueta, Perrin, and Baker (2020), the letters CO stand for corona, VI for virus,

and D for disease thus COVID-19 is a disease caused by a new coronavirus strain .According

to Brown (2020), Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a

newly discovered coronavirus (Prime, Wade, & Browne 2020). The COVID-19 virus is a

new virus linked to the same family of viruses as SARS and some types of the common cold.

As a result, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible

for the contagious disease coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

According to Brown and Doom (2020), family relation is any combination of filiation or

conjugal relationships that join two people directly or through a third party. According to

Feinberg (2019), family relationship can be defined as any combination of filiation or

conjugal relationships that connect two individuals directly or through a third party.

Therefore, the term "family relationship" refers to being related by blood, marriage, adoption,

or kinship.

As a starting point, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a unique impact on families and

children. According to Brown (2020), despite the fact that children appear to have milder

COVID-19 infection symptoms than older individuals, sudden shifts in routines, resources,

and relationships as a result of restrictions on physical contact have had a significant impact
on families with young children. Children's social and support networks have been

significantly disrupted without school, child care, extracurricular activities, and family

gatherings (Alzueta etal, 2020). Parents' additional responsibilities as they adjust to their new

roles as educators and playmates while juggling full-time caregiving with their own stressful

changes to work, finances, and social situations have added to the stress caused by COVID-

19.

Resilience within the family is one positive effect of Covid-19. According to Brown and

Doom (2020), family resilience is developed through adaptability to shifting circumstances,

which in turn fosters cooperation and strengthens family ties. The opportunity to spend more

time together and return to basics has increased the amount of time families spend with their

children. There will be changes in other areas whenever they alter the "normal routine."

According to Conger & Elder (2012), children typically reside in a variety of systems,

including the home, the school, and the most comprehensive system, which encompasses

society and culture. The majority of families have overcome the stress of the pandemic to

become even closer than before, according to a survey conducted in the United Kingdom. A

Mum Poll survey of 2,000 British parents, Miranda (2020), found that four out of five parents

believe their families have become closer.

The second positive effect on the family is involving the children in family activities, which

boosts their sense of responsibility and self-worth. There should be chores at home for kids of

all ages. When parents take care of everything for their children, they may not be as prepared

for life and for taking care of themselves (Feinberg, 2021). Giving our children the skills they

need to deal with whatever life throws at them is the goal. Making their bed, putting away

their clothes, doing the dishes, sweeping, and taking out the trash are all examples of chores

that can change with age. Children can take on more responsibilities as they get older,

keeping education as their top priority.

In addition, with Covid-19, children have more time to rest without having to travel to school,

work, or activities after school. According to Feinberg and Mogle (2020), as a result, many

children get three more hours of sleep than they would have gotten on the bus or while

traveling. However, it is essential to delay waking up and starting the computer. When their

children attend virtual school, parents are encouraged to treat every day as if it were a regular

school day.

However, Covid 19 causes families to experience domestic violence: According to Giallo et

al. (2020), domestic violence conflicts affect a lot of families, but this global problem is

getting worse as more time is spent at home. The incidence of domestic violence has

skyrocketed all over the world. A family psychologist must support the family as a whole,

help victims of domestic violence recover, and work through any psychological damage they

may have sustained.

Covid 19 also causes family members to pass away. During this time, the death of a loved

one from the coronavirus or another cause has befallen many families. Regardless, Prime et

al. (2020) assert that the emotional pain brought on by death, particularly at this time, is

extreme. When dealing with a death, many family members may experience additional stress

due to restrictions on gatherings at funerals, access to hospitals to visit the dying, and social

isolation. As a result, a family psychologist can assist these families in coping with their

devastating losses and providing them with support throughout the grieving process and

beyond.

Additionally, this is a volatile time for both parents and their families. As a result, a lot will

have changed in the lives of children every day. According to Brown's opinion (2020), even

if there is unanticipated change, it will typically affect one aspect of one's life while

remaining unchanged for the rest. Most aspects of a family's life may have changed without
warning as a result of COVID-19. One's family life and roles may have changed, the

workload or role may be different, and one may even be spending time living away from

those they care about. As a result, this may cause a lot of stress and anxiety.

Covid-19 also has an effect on relationships, coping, and anxiety. We all experience anxiety

in different ways, and it can also affect how we interact with others. According to Alzueta, et

al. (2020), some people's anxiety may be obvious, making it easier to provide comfort and

support. Others may exhibit anger, aggression, slamming doors, or pushing one away as signs

of anxiety. If one is feeling anxious and tired, either can be hard to manage.

It is essential to keep in mind that one is not to blame for the behavior they observe; rather, it

is an indication of how they are feeling. According to Brown et al. (2020), the world has

undergone significant change in the past few months, and everyone is adapting. Because they

don't know how to express their worry about one, our children may even be pushing it away.

It is essential to take care of oneself and comprehend that the difficulties are the result of the

current circumstance and not of something one has done or failed to do as a parent or partner.

In addition, celebrating accomplishments is a difficult time for all parents during Covid 19.

According to Conger & Elder (2020), our children and adolescents are experiencing high

levels of anxiety, they are being cut off from their friends, and their day-to-day lives have

been turned upside down. Parenting will face additional difficulties as a result. Again, the fact

that many children will now be home-schooled is one of the most significant changes for

parents and young people.

In conclusion, the most important thing to keep in mind is that taking care of oneself is not

selfish. One must use the refrigerator as a metaphor and imagine themselves as the fridge. If

others keep taking from the fridge without replenishing it, they will eventually check it, and it
will be empty. In this difficult time of survival, it is essential to take care of one's own health

and wellbeing as well as that of one's family and those you love or care about.

REFERENCES’

Brown SM, (2020) Stress and parenting during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Child Abuse

Alzueta, E., Perrin, P. and Baker, F. C., (2020). How the COVID-19 pandemic has changed

our lives: A study of psychological correlates across 59 countries. Journal of

Clinical Psychology, 77, 556– 570. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23082

Brown, S. M. and Doom, J. R., (2020). Stress and parenting during the global COVID-19

pandemic. PsyArXiv, 1– 43. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ucezm.

Conger, R. D., & Elder, G. H. (1994). Families in troubles times: Adapting to change in

rural America. Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter.

Miranda, D. M.,  (2020). How is COVID-19 pandemic impacting mental health of children

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the COVID-19 pandemic 10 years later.

Feinberg, M. E. and Mogle, J., (2020). Social distancing, stress, and family conflict.

Giallo, R., Seymour, M., & Feinberg, M. E. (2020). Supporting families during the pandemic

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Prime, H., Wade, M., & Browne, D. T. (2020). Risk and resilience in family well-being

during the COVID-19