Grayslake Parents: How Has COVID Changed Your Family Life?

GRAYSLAKE, IL — Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, we've been bombarded with a lot of bad news. With cases spiking again amid the fast spread of the omicron variant, we have been inundated with updates on hospitals filling up, schools dealing with massive staff shortages — some turning again to remote learning — and an overall sense of fatigue from nearly two years of living in this new normal.

Many families have been forced to navigate living with less — less daycare, less school support, less disposable income — but more responsibility when it comes to teaching children remotely. Some have lost their jobs, even as the cost of food, gasoline and other goods has risen dramatically.

The picture has been grim through most of the pandemic, but a recent survey from the United States Census Bureau shows an upside to all this time at home.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Survey of Income and Program Participation found that parents read to their children more in 2020 compared to in past years, and also sat around the table for more family dinners. But, they also went on fewer family outings (the majority of families were surveyed between March and June 2020, when many of the country's businesses were shutdown).

Noting that there were large differences depending on socioeconomic characteristics, the percentage of parents who read to young children five or more times per week rose from 64 percent in 2019 to 69 percent in 2020.

There was a 1 percentage point increase in shared dinners, from 84 percent in 2018 to 85 percent in 2020.

Meanwhile, the proportion of parents taking their young children on outings two or more times a week dropped from 87 percent in 2019 to 82 percent in 2020.

We'd like to hear from local families on how they have handled, and are handling, life after nearly two years of the pandemic. Please take the time to fill out our survey below to let us know how your family has been impacted: We may use your responses in future reporting projects or reach out to you for more comments.

You can read the full U.S. Census Bureau Survey here.