Feb 25, 2021
Now more than ever, we are focused on our children; how they are feeling about themselves and how they see the world around them.
Whilst we have all tried to shield them from the impact of a changing world, children have seen themselves be distanced from friends and family in a time where arguably they need human interaction more than ever. Whilst older children can be spoken to about Coronavirus and how to keep safe, younger children may well have seen significant adults and children become absent without any real understanding of the situation.
Our children are expert witnesses and pick up on the behaviours of those around them; whilst we have all tried to keep a sense of normality for them, masks, hand sanitisers, lack of visitors and days out will certainly have changed their day to day experiences.
In our nurseries, we have tried so hard for children to see and experience what they would have done in life before Coronavirus and they have adapted tremendously to the changes that we have made in order to keep them, their families and our teams safe.
A change in eating or sleeping patterns, possibly lacking confidence and appearing to disconnect or withdraw could be a sign that they are finding lockdown difficult. They may be restless and may have more behavioural outbursts, become angry or emotional. Children may also struggle to keep focused and lose attention quickly.
Another sign that your child might be struggling with lockdown is through more physical signs. Anxiety sometimes presents physically in the form of tunny aches and headaches. Children often do not understand why they are feeling the way they do, which makes it harder for them to deal with the changing behaviour.
There’re a few things that you can do to support the mental health of your child. You can keep them close when they most need it; offering them cuddles and hugs and listening to their concerns. Being with them when you can may be a real comfort.
Many of these reminders and tips are transferable to us as adults. Be kind to yourselves and start each day afresh.
There’s some particular language that might be helpful to help support your child. You could try using phrases such as:
What can your child do?
There’s also some specific activities that you might want to try. These are all activities that we try to do as often as possible at nursery and will work just as well at home!
In the midst of everything else, do remember to make time for yourself; try to eat well, exercise where you can and get sleep and rest. Although this can be easier said than done, it is hugely important for both you and your child.
And just remember, you are doing a wonderful job! We see happy, energetic and enthusiastic children arrive at nursery each day; but hopefully some of the tips above will make the next few weeks of lockdown just a little bit easier.