One of the obvious headlines throughout the COVID pandemic has been ‘Get our Children back to school’. But now they are back, what are the less obvious effects?
It’s been a tough time for parents. Pretty much a six-month-long summer holiday slog, homeschooling, and to cap it off, travel restrictions stopping any means of escape and family support.
But this isn’t about us. We all do what’s best for our children in any situation. It’s not even about six months of almost lost education. No, what this is about is the little things, the almost unseen things that really do make the biggest impact on a child’s life, but most of all, it’s about friendship.
Take today for example. Our Son has been out of sorts lately, he’s worried about has his first ‘proper’ spelling test later this week. But digging a little deeper, it’s not really about the test. It’s about a great many things bubbling beneath the surface and affecting more of us than we care to realise.
First is the worry of falling behind due to illness. He’s been off a couple of days, and, with COVID, a simple illness metamorphosizes into a panic situation. Also, on the back of homeschooling, falling behind just got a whole lot easier.
To amplify the impact of the days lost on lessons, we have the usual COVID rules, changing almost daily, and difficult for even the teachers to keep up with, let alone a little boy in the unfamiliar, daunting surroundings of a new year at School. Children need predictability and stability.
Today made me remember what it was like to be six again. The panic of not knowing where you’re supposed to be at what time, the fear of getting left behind the crowd both academically and socially, like scrambling out of a slippy dark well. But looking back I really did have it easy.
Today, playgrounds are sectioned off, so he can’t even play with his younger sisters at break-time or the exciting new climbing frame in the corner. The party invites at the soft play, or at the park where friendships were made, they’re now gone. There are no school trips, no beavers, no events to remember anymore. He’s lost, confused, stressed, and lonely. It breaks my heart to see the energy, the excitement, and zest for life being dampened down. He’s literally chasing shadows in an empty playground, reaching out to be included, just like I did at his age.
Children need friends. It’s their support network, their comfort, their world. More friends equal more fun, and no friends, well, that’s no fun at all.
Will things get better? Once his closest circle of friends return from illness maybe. He’s a bright lad, and he won’t give up, but it saddens me that he, and I guess millions of others like him have to go through this.
So Today, please spare a thought for all the young kids out there missing School, their friends, Grandma and Granddad, and birthday parties in the bouncy castle at the soft play. It’s hurting them more than you know, so let’s try a little harder, just for them.
The UK government announced today further lockdown restrictions in England.
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