Pandemic stressful for parents juggling work and kids at home, worrying constantly Updated Mar 17, 2021; Navigating online school. Drive-by birthday parties and masks for pre-schoolers. Parents throughout Michigan faced mounting levels of stress and worry while raising children during the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 and the ensuing state restrictions to limit the virus spread caused a whole new world of issues for parents. For many parents, the stress reached its peak when specific health orders closed school buildings, businesses and, for a time, daycares. Parents were forced to juggle work and children at home. As parents to five children between ages 11 and 3, Kate and Shawn Sandner had their fair share of challenges and stress as they navigated the last year during the coronavirus pandemic.