Has lockdown psychologically damaged our kids?
I ask with so-called ‘Freedom Day’ on the horizon and all remaining Covid restrictions due to be lifted after almost 18 months living under varying degrees of lockdown.
I was 37 weeks pregnant with Violet and finished work to go on my highly anticipated final maternity leave (the one where I was going to do all the things I didn’t do before, like sleep when the baby sleeps) the day schools and nurseries closed in March 2020.
Pre Covid there is absolutely no way I’d ever willingly take on the responsibility of homeschooling, yet homeschooling is precisely what I found myself doing along with thousands of unwitting parents up and down the country. And now we seem to be out the other side I’m worried about how the experience has affected the kids, and what the fallout will be afterwards.
Has lockdown psychologically damaged our kids?
At first Bluebell and Max loved being off school, but the novelty soon wore off and the reality of not being in school, seeing their friends and doing their usual activities and after school clubs hit.
There were good days, bad days, and very bad days in our house. A low point had to be the day Bluebell and I both cried over improper fractions, because she didn’t understand it and I didn’t understand it either.
Every day the schools were closed the kids fell more and more behind, because it simply wasn’t possible for one person (me) to deliver two completely separate sets of lessons to two children of different ages while looking after their younger sister and a baby. It got to the point I felt like I was essentially unschooling, and they knew it.
The fact is staring at a screen at home simply wasn’t the right learning environment for Bluebell or Max. They needed to be around children of their own age and teachers who could give them their undivided attention, not in a learning environment run by an unqualified and sleep deprived mum with a younger sister watching Peppa Pig, a breastfed baby who was cluster feeding and a stressed out dad trying to work in another room.
During the first lockdown Max was in reception and went back to school in June 2020, but Bluebell was in year four and wasn’t allowed back until September. Then they were both at home again when the schools closed between January and March 2021, meaning Max has missed a total of six months schooling and Bluebell has missed nine months. Add to that the occasional burst bubble, and the disruption continues.
I don’t worry about Max so much because he’s younger, but for Bluebell I’m afraid the legacy of those nine months will last for years. Academically she has been on catch up ever since, with the school delivering extra English and maths lessons, but I’m also worried about how the experience has affected her from an emotional and mental point of view. I really hope being locked down and away from school and her friends for the best part of a year hasn’t scarred her for life.
By the time the kids went back to school after the last lockdown there were 51 outstanding activities in Bluebell’s home learning Seesaw account, and 48 in Max’s. That’s 99 lessons they haven’t done and missed out on. Of course, all you can do is your best and that’s what we did through each lockdown. But what if our best isn’t enough?
Do you worry about the impact of lockdown and the fallout afterwards too? I’d love to hear your point of view!
The lockdowns have been hard but I imagine even harder for younger children. Thankfully my eldest was able to get on with her work from college herself and I just had my youngest to help with her home learning. I don’t think I would have coped if I had more children all of different ages.
We have to remember we did our best in such difficult circumstances x
I know there’s data here on the Year 10 and Year 11’s (late highschool) floundering for the final year exams because they didn’t cross milestones to mentally prepare them for the HSC. So not so much about learning, but mentally thinking they’re ready. So now a year on they’re chucking it all in before the finish line…winding down to the exams as a teacher put it. (Instead of the traditional increasing stress)
I think it’s really hit the 15-25 year olds the most hard, but I do think we’ve all been changed by it. #MischeifandMemories
Also back for #FortheloveofBlog. Have a wonderful break
It’s been incredibly hard and I still think it’s a long way from over despite what the government are hoping. You’ve done amazing to cope with four children at home. I think there will be long lasting implications for lots of people, I know I’ll never be without hand gel again.
Katrina x
#mischiefandmemories
Also popping by from #fortheloveofblog
Katrina x
The lockdowns were really difficult. During the first one Aazeen wasn’t at nursery so it didn’t make a difference, second one it was still open for kids but the third one I honestly couldn’t cope. Was expected to work from home 9 to 5 and at the same time teach her too, it was chaos and in the end I gave up on the homeschooling and just hoped for the best!
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Currently homeschooling again because of another burst bubble. It’s just so disrupting for the kids, and us! I’ve had to let go of all the worry about their education, it was making me so upset. My seven year old has been very volatile since his bubble burst, but I get it. It’s confusing. Last time his big brother’s bubble burst at the same time, but this time it’s just him. #fortheloveofblog
My eldest (10) really struggled. I think he was actually depressed and I hated seeing him like that. His school work suffered, but the school have said he has caught up already and he is definitely getting back to himself now #mischiefandmemories
Ahh I completely feel for you. I only have the one, but working full time from home and doing the home schooling was like a mission impossible. I can’t tell you how relieved I was in the 2nd lockdown when school decided to do live teaching on zoom for the day – mimicking a full school day. Luckily this worked out amazingly and I don’t think many of the kids fell behind at all. If anything… maybe it’s us parents that have been scarred from the experience hehe! Thank you for joining us for #mischiefandmemories xxx
I am more concerned about the educational losses than any emotional damage for my own children. However, I am aware of other children that have suffered greatly from the lack of routine, separation from their friends and being in unhappy homes. Thanks for linking up with #MischiefAndMemories