Our data confirm the hypothesis that individuals with children report increased stress levels during the COVID‐19 pandemic compared with people living alone or with adults. Moreover, the levels of perceived stress increased with the growing number of children at home. The presence of children during relative isolation or quarantine, probably due to increased home strain and need for childcare, might put demands on adults living with them. In addition, concerns over a child being sick with COVID‐19 have been previously shown to be associated with greater severity of stress and anxiety symptoms in parents (Wang et al., 2020). Having children has also been associated with decreased financial satisfaction (Stanca, 2012). Future studies should examine whether the ages or gender of children living at home moderate the relationship between the number of children and adults’ stress levels.