The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of rural Nebraskan parents with young children during the COVID-19 pandemic and school shutdown, and the strategies they used to support their families during that time. Specifically, our research questions were: 1. How did rural families with young children respond to the COVID-19 pandemic school shutdown (March 2020-May 2020) and into the summer and fall of 2020? 2. What parenting strategies did these families use during the COVID-19 pandemic school shutdown? (author abstract)