At this time of summer and the pandemic, it is difficult to know exactly what the return to school will be like . The coronavirus is in different phases around the world, and many countries are planning what the next school year will be like: when will it start, in what modality will the classes be held, how many children will there be per group, among many other things that have already been put into practice in countries like China and France.
But in addition to casting doubt on what the new normal for going back to school will be, the pandemic and lockdown shed light on how many children felt about school. So today, we reflect on the feelings of the children regarding confinement and having finished the course with online classes, as well as the feelings of parents and children about going back to school next school year.
Children’s emotional health during confinement
We knew that the sudden suspension of classes, as well as the estrangement of their friends and extended family would affect the children. Such important changes in their routine and the frequency of contact with those people with whom they used to live do not go unnoticed by the little ones and their emotional health .
A first study on the effects of quarantine on Spanish and Italian children between the ages of three and 18, found that the majority showed difficulty concentrating, nervousness and fear, and in the particular case of Spain, 89% of the minors would present disorders emotional and behavioral issues arising from this situation.
However, with the passage of time and the adjustment towards this new “normal” where children received distance education and spent all their time indoors with their parents, other feelings began to appear.
According to an investigation carried out by the psychologists specialized in child development Marta Giménez-Dasí, from the Complutense University, and Laura Quintanilla, from the UNED, after six weeks of confinement, children between 8 and 10 years old showed lower levels of anxiety and stress . The reason? They didn’t feel the pressure and demand that going to school brings .
There were even relatively few who said they missed school: only 9% of the children surveyed. 14% of them missed their friends, 16% said they were bored, 25% said they were fine at home although sometimes they got bored, while 31% said they felt great at home, this being the most frequent response by asking them to describe the emotions they felt.
This would not be the first time that we began to reflect and talk about the level of demands that schools have, and how heavy some dynamics can be for children. With confinement, class hours were greatly reduced and the fast pace of life we are used to suddenly came to a halt .
There was no rush to leave to be on time, despite the situation we relaxed by being less busy and that undoubtedly reduces stress for anyone. But also, the children obtained something that a child always yearns for: spending more time with their parents , which also gives them security and calm in moments like the one we are living.
Now that we’re on vacation, stress has been further reduced thanks to the absence of homework and online classes, but even in the southern hemisphere countries where they are in the middle of school, many parents will feel that their children feel less pressure. .
The uncertainty of parents
I am not the first or the only mother who is worried about the next start of the cycle. Like most, doubts about my daughter’s education have invaded me since the beginning of her quarantine, going through various stages: how will we educate at home? Will it be long delayed? When will this end? And finally, will going back to school be safe?
Eventually I decided to relax and although we continued home education following the teachers’ instructions, the truth is that academics stopped being a priority and we focused on taking care of the physical and emotional health of everyone at home. But now that summer has arrived and we are only two months away from the start of another school year, doubts return .
Speaking with other parents of children, I realize that there are many of us who are not sure about taking our children to school , despite the government or Education saying that it is safe to do so following the necessary measures.
Some mothers, for example, told me that even if it was indicated that children can now return to classes in person, they would not take them , at least until there is a vaccine or the number of cases is really low and the risk is minimal.
Another mother in Mexico is seriously considering dropping out of school altogether and starting homeschooling, while others have no idea what to do and will wait for things to evolve a bit more to enroll their children.
In general, concern and uncertainty about going back to school are still very present in all families , and the conclusion of most is the same: they do not want to take their children to face-to-face classes until everything is back to normal, if at all. sometime that happens.
Back to school, full of doubts and fears
As the summer progresses, the concern many of us have about what will happen next school year is more palpable. And there are many things that encompass and make up the return of our children to school .
On the one hand, it seems that children are finally feeling better emotionally. Despite social distancing and preventive measures, they have been able to adapt to this new normal. What will happen when you go back to school and start a whole new different routine, full of strict measures after getting used to always being us? Although we know that later they will adapt, it will certainly be difficult at the beginning.
On the other hand, there is the issue of fear of contagion . As adults we surely know how to keep and follow distance measurements, but in the case of young children, we know that it can cost them more work or even forget about them when playing with their friends.
In addition, we cannot forget that the beginning of classes coincides with the beginning of autumn, which brings with it the flu and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a fact that pediatricians have warned, as it is feared this could coincide with a second wave of the coronavirus .
In short, the concerns are many, but without a doubt the situation has also shown us that we must rethink the education of children and the time we spend with them , as well as the always pending issue of family conciliation. There is much to do and reflect.
Photos | iStock
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