This is part 1 of a two-part article.
We as adults have felt the struggles and seen the impact that the 'pandemic' has brought. But what about the children?
Most of the world was brought to a halt just over a year ago. Life as we knew it changed so drastically that we suddenly found ourselves the stars in some surreal dystopian, post-apocalyptic movie.
As a mother of 4 children, one of whom is now an adult, I have experienced firsthand how children have been affected. Through observing my own and their friends, noticing the subtle and sometimes not so subtle changes. From mental health, socialization, and physical health, I wish to share my thoughts, feelings, observations, and how a random act of kindness by a group of teens has made lockdown life a little brighter.
It takes a village and all that...
We know the saying, children thrive when they are surrounded with love and guidance from peers, teens, and adults alike. The ability to have a multitude of different perspectives, and sometimes to help parents maintain boundaries. We need people around us.
If we are living in a community, that gift is an inevitable part of life. In a more mainstream way of life, those values are still doable through schooling, parental friendships, extended family, and so on.
However, with the imposed lockdowns, this became virtually impossible and many families found themselves struggling with the drastic change. At the very least, for most parents, it was an opportunity to reconnect and spend quality time with their child. But the harsh reality for most was one of stress, arguments, daily battles over the most minor of things. Homeschooling, when most kids don't want to learn at home. As adults we felt these struggles, but what about how our children have felt and thought through all this?
Children's Mental Health During This Pandemic
There are stark differences between how adults process information and how kids do. Think back to a time when you were under ten years old. To a significant event in your life. Now, remember how you perceived that event at the time and compare it to your understanding of it now?
The lockdowns must have been a huge shock, particularly for the younger children aged 4 and 5. They had just started school and were making friends, becoming initiated into this new routine. Then all of a sudden, no friends, at home all day, parks closed. Only allowed one hour of exercise.
For teens, who are already coping with huge transitions such as puberty and relationships and who can be sucked into the rabbit hole of a depressive mood, this must have been an extremely challenging time. According to this article from Healthline, the impact of the COVID pandemic on teenagers mental health is likely to be severe.
Children need reassurance and balance. They need to know that the big people in their lives have some certainty of life. If we as parents don't have a clue whats' happening, imagine how this projects on to our children. How can they feel secure? Moreover, this lack of consistency and the almost emotionally abusive tactics that the government placed on us, leaves us feeling anxious about it all, then try being a child?
Children are loving and generous with their feelings by nature. Now, imagine being told that you cannot stand near or cuddle your grandparents for fear of killing them. Picture being told you can't do the things you love anymore because some invisible illness is wreaking havoc around the world. Imagine the guilt that children must hold, worrying that the very act of breathing, a cough, or a sneeze may contribute to the mass extinction of the human race.
Ok, that sounds a bit exaggerated, but from a child's perspective, this is the scary place that they are living inside their thoughts.
For some children, home is not one of comfort and love. A 60% rise in domestic abuse in Europe alone, was reported over the last year and although schools remained open for many vulnerable children, many domestic abuse cases would have gone unnoticed, leaving children more traumatized from either witnessing their parents or being subjected to emotional and physical harm. The consequences of this will only be visible in the future.
I can only hope that for the majority of children living in these times, their resilience will power their ability to overcome this traumatic world event.
Physical Health
The restrictions of one hour daily exercise according to this article in the British Medical Journal, combined with the already growing epidemic, has caused a rise in childhood obesity. The articles suggested that physical activity decreased during the lockdown, similarly to school holidays but with it covering a longer time period, the extent to the impact may be more severe. This coupled with the news making a huge issue about food security at the start of the first lockdown, the fact that anxiety and stress can also cause us to binge eat as a response to those feelings have all been a recipe for creating unhealthy children.
There was a case of Childrens' Services removing two teens from their home because they claimed the parents were not doing enough to reduce their childrens' weight. The parents admitted that they found it hard to stick to the goals set and blamed the current lockdown. CPS didn't see it that way and the children were removed from their care following a court order, and placed in foster care. The children were growing up in a loving home and it is a disgrace that they had to suffer the trauma of being pulled away from their parents. This is not how we should be supporting families. Where has the sense of care and encouragement gone?
I have noticed it with a few of my son's friends at school. Some of the children that prefer to spend their day on a console have certainly packed on a few pounds. I hope that they can get into a routine that will incorporate some more exercise.
Exercise and healthy eating are vital to reduce the risk of illness and diseases in adult life and I worry for the health of these kids as they get older.
It is a known fact that exercise can also promote a healthy mind-body balance. It can reduce anxiety, depression, and feelings of negativity by increasing self-esteem and improving cognitive function.
It is therefore imperative that both children and adults can find a way back into a life with more exercise. I would love to see community initiatives for healthy living and eating once the world wakes up out of this lockdown slumber. I think it would be so beneficial to us all and in particular, the future generation, our children.
To be continued...
In part two I will share my thoughts on how my 2 youngest have had to cope with the transitions and how that has affected them. I will also share the story of how the trampoline came to find a home on our local beach.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned for part two coming tomorrow.
~ONE LOVE~
)
