Corona Virus Continues To Affect Children’s Mental Health
2020 has been a bad year for all of us. The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc around the world. Its magnitude being somewhere around the impact of the Great Depression and the Black Plague. Isolation policies were implemented to control the spread of this disease.
According to UNICEF, around 1.6 billion children across the globe are unable to attend schools. Since schools are unable to meet the guidelines set forth by WHO, governments are reluctant to ease the lockdown. This resulted in education entering into the digital scape. Online education gained momentum like never before, and COVID-19 is to thank for it.
However, being locked inside all day has caused children to develop mental health issues. The fear of getting infected also contributed to their worries. After all, in times like these, who can expect to maintain even a shred of normalcy.
While this time proved beneficial for some students who excelled in this homeschooling environment, most suffered. Many children did not have the right equipment or support to study from home, which took a toll on their progress. Click here to enroll your child in Mrs. Myers' Reading Room today to see an improvement in your child's development.
Months later, many parents struggled to help their children overcome their initial anxiety and adjust to home learning. Meanwhile, the government has decided to advance to the next stage – reopening schools. This bit of news added further to the anxiety of children.
After being stuck inside for so long, going back to school is an unwelcoming thought for kids. Not that children like going to school anyway, but this reluctance stems from somewhere else.
What if they can’t readjust in the study environment? What if they fail? What if they get infected with coronavirus? All these ‘what ifs' have children anxious.
Yet, perhaps their biggest concern is looking weird while wearing safety gear like masks and gloves over their clothes. After all, wearing protective clothing won't make them look cool or fearless.
On top of that, children are naturally fidgety, impatient, and very active, so getting them to wear protective gear for a long time is impossible. Every parent knows that getting a child to do something solely for health purposes is a difficult task. It can start from a request and end anywhere from begging to scolding the child.
As a result, parents are against sending their kids to school until all of this is over. You might have read about the current debate going on in Wisconsin.
In Southeast Wisconsin, parents have refused to send their kids to schools, so the government has temporarily retracted their notice of reopening schools. However, keeping kids at home isn’t doing parents any favors too. Kids are developing anxiety and depression.
Parents need to take action to decrease the anxiety experienced by children. First and foremost, they need to sit down and have an open discussion with their children. It’s surprising how a few kind words can get all bad things to tumble out.
Hear their concerns, no matter how illogical they are, and assure your children. Do not scold them. The next step is to explain the whole situation as well as precautionary measures to them. Prepare them in case schools close down again.
Many schools will continue to operate virtually for the time being. However, it’s your duty as parents to make your children feel at ease by driving away their demons.
You might be busy working from home or doing some chores, but you still need to find the time and try to make this whole learning experience fun. Don't let the pressure affect your home dynamics.
If you are unsure if your child is suffering from anxiety, watch out for signs like irritability, excess arguments, rudeness, etc. If the symptoms are present, then seek professional help online and give your child unconditional support.
Do not stop your child from video calling their friends or taking breaks. That would just aggravate the issue. Maintain the balance and create a nurturing environment to decrease the toxicity of current times.
If their progress continues to suffer, and you are unable to clear their concepts, enroll them in Mrs. Myers' Reading Room here today.
