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Original poster

Anyone else’s children happier in lockdown?

155 replies

Santasunhelpfulhelper · 14/04/2020 15:43

I don’t feel like I can say anything on all my school WhatsApp groups as everyone else’s children don’t seem to be happy about the schools being closed, but mine are loving not being at school.

They’re eating better, sleeping better, calmer, happier. They’re enjoying the relaxed pace of life. Anyone else enjoying this silver lining?

OP posts:

Crikey0000 · 14/04/2020 19:17

Yes mine absolutely love it. They seem to be learning some self discipline. It's all good so far buy it's not a long term plan obviously. Dread lock down being over tbh.

OuterMongolia · 14/04/2020 19:17

DS1 (14) is happy. He is enjoying lying in late, gaming with his friends and has rediscovered some old toys (drone, raspberry pi).

DD (12) is missing her friends but keeping in touch with them on social media.

DS2 (10) is the least happy. He's missing his friends and playing football - he usually plays every lunchtime as well as training and a match outside school. He's ok but he'll be happy to go back.

Tigerlilie · 14/04/2020 19:34

You know for those of you whose children seem so much happier and for those parents that quite like the prospect of 'carrying on as you currently are', you are experiencing some of the flexibility, freedom and endless opportunities of home education.

You're well within your rights to never send your children back to school if you don't wish to. It's not 'home ed in a nutshell' because ordinarily we'd be doing all sorts of things and going to all manner of places, whenever we want but the pace, this relaxed, take your time pace, is one huge advantage of home ed.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Families

HoldMyLobster · 14/04/2020 20:00

My children are getting pretty much the full education they'd be getting if they were at school, expect it's online. That won't be on offer once school restarts. I certainly wouldn't be trying to home educate them on the American high school curriculum considering I have very few teaching skills, I've never studied the curriculum myself, and it wouldn't make any of us happy. Not to mention that I have a pretty much full-time job.

It has made me wonder what we can do to make DS's education experience happier once normal school restarts though.

CottonSock · 14/04/2020 20:11

Yes mine are happier, confirmed by asking my 6yo today. She has noticeably improved in listening and independent play, learnt to ride a bike with confidence, reading come on loads. I think we should have spent more time at home before, always rushing from place to place. She's not doing as much maths etc, but learning (esp for us) has never been her strong point so this has really helped. I feel closer to her too.

Seventyone72seventy3 · 14/04/2020 20:17

My kids have been off school for 7 weeks now and they still don't want to go back despite the fact that they miss their friends. They are playing really well together (generally) and even my teenager is playing well with his younger siblings. It's great but it's made me realise how much they all really hate school.

gerbilgirl · 14/04/2020 20:33

My two daughters are loving it!

Our 5 year old is usually prone to tantrums and meltdowns and after a rocky first few days after school closed she has been a dream :) She is just so much happier and is getting quite a bit of school work done as well!

Our 9 year old has struggled a bit more so far from a social point of view but she has had a couple of video chats with some friends from school which we are going to keep up and she was so much happier after these. I think knowing her friends are feeling the same helped.

I think the lack of having to be somewhere at a certain time has been really liberating for all of us. My husband is working from home but we all have a later than normal breakfast together, then lunch and an earlier tea than before with family time before bed (kids are staying up later than school time).

It is certainly giving us reasons to think about changes we can make after this to try and maintain some of this calm and happy.

EarringsandLipstick · 14/04/2020 20:42

Not that I'm doing brilliantly at all but I think my DC are doing better. We have an incredibly busy schedule, I'm a single mother of 3, working f/t & I spend a lot nearly all my time shouting, telling them to hurry up, rushing & either being shattered or being stressed about work in front of them.

I'm stressed working from home at present but I physically can't do as much as I need to take care of them, I'm around more & without the mental schedule of activities they (& I) do, it's feeling somewhat more normal.

Giving a lot of thought to what I do when something close to Normal Life resumes.

wendz86 · 14/04/2020 21:12

My 4 year old is very happy . She spends all day playing with her dolls and has slept a lot better than she ever has .

8 year old not so happy . She’s very emotional , hates school work , misses her friends and all her activities .

happypotamus · 14/04/2020 21:39

DC1 possibly is. She doesn't enjoy school, had only 2 friends, was quite happy staying at home. There are less demands in lockdown life, she can get up later, 'home school is not as demanding as real school' (she is in year 4, and we haven't really got to grips with how the learning platform that school sets the work on works).
DC2 is in Reception and misses her many friends and teachers.
Both of them are not as locked down as other kids, because they get to go to school a couple of times a week while I am working in my keyworker job, so they still get to see other children (DC2 is much happier about that than DC1).

Original poster

Santasunhelpfulhelper · 14/04/2020 22:18

I love the idea of home schooling, but I don’t think I could do the children justice. Teachers are experts in their fields how could I replicate that? And the social side of it. Children learn so much from each other and social dynamics. Don’t get me wrong. I love the idea of it and really admire those who do it.

I’d be really happy to keep them off until September.

OP posts:

TulipsInAJug · 14/04/2020 22:21

9 year old and 7 year old are both happy. 9 year old is probably happier at home than at school. They love having mum and dad at home all day. They are playing together really well.

Love not having to always be somewhere, love not having to watch the clock all the time.

DelurkingAJ · 14/04/2020 22:24

Nope. DS1 is bird to tears (7 and has a million toys but has never been able to self entertain...we are both trying to work FT from home and I had to have a gentle chat with him about how much harder his constant demands to be entertained were making it). DS2 (4) was at first delighted but has become tearful at the idea that he can’t go to preschool or the CM.

I can well imagine different DC would love it though.

Ginfordinner · 14/04/2020 23:17

I notice that all the ones loving it have siblings. Are there any only children loving it?

Redwinestillfine · 14/04/2020 23:20

Yes. Less tears and tantrums, even from the one who loves school.

TheHarryFormerlyKnownAsPrince · 14/04/2020 23:22

You wouldn’t need to replicate school, OP, that’s oneofthe advantages of home ed. And there are plenty of social opportunities in the home Ed community alongside extracurricular groups like Cubs / Brownies for those who want them.

My children are loving it but they do say they want to go back to school. They do get things out of school. But there are so many down sides to school too, socially and academically.

elliejjtiny · 14/04/2020 23:25

My ds2 is loving it. He has asd traits and physical disabilities. My others are missing their friends, clubs, grandparents etc.

WaktiWapnasi · 14/04/2020 23:26

If my kids could see their grandparents and go swimming, honestly they would describe thos as heaven. None of them particularly like school and they have really enjoyed intense life skill learning and just mooching about doing projects and going at our own pace.

Back to school will be a challenge I'm sure.

scrawnybutscrumptious · 14/04/2020 23:34

My ds (11) is an only child and loving it. He is quite an anxious child who is a gentle soul, and was recently the target of bullying. He was also not enjoying having three primary teachers a week and the general behavioural issues in class. He's lucky, because I'm not working and I have the time to spend with him. I structure his day with work in morning, interval, lunch and PE/educational YouTube in afternoons. We go for walks and I've been teaching him how to cook meals and bake. My friend is struggling trying to juggle wfh with her only child. He's keeping in touch with friends on Xbox and watches TV with his gran through facetime. His dad usually works away but he's WFH now, so he's loving him being here. All good so far, although he told me he worries he'll lose his confidence when moving up to the academy after summer. I wouldn't dare post this on social media though, because some people will be having a tough time and I realise how good we have it at the moment.

Doihavetogotoworkdotcom1 · 14/04/2020 23:38

Teenage dd loves it and her acne has cleared up since being at home.

PersonaNonGarter · 14/04/2020 23:45

My DC adore it. They are really being such lovely company and are so happy.

I usually work quite long hours at the office. Planning to WFH a lot more now.

SnowsInWater · 14/04/2020 23:57

I know mine would have loved it at primary school age and it is lovely to read the stories of less stressed, happier kids, here but at 17DD misses school and her friends desperately. We are baking, binge watching Gilmore Girls, going for walks etc. but she really just wants to be back with her mates. 21yo DS is just doing his Uni work online, he is a lot less social and gets out anyway for his part time job so doesn't mind so much.

Solongtoshort · 15/04/2020 00:28

Yes my two are also getting on so icy better, they have 15 minutes of fussing everyday but then the get on. I just hate that l have to work, my dh is home with them.

64sNewName · 15/04/2020 00:34

Mine (12 and 9) definitely seem happier. DD does miss school a bit. But she’s reading more, sleeping more and looking healthier. And there’s a nice mellow vibe at home, although I am not getting much work done so money is a worry.

Turns out I really am a calm, patient mum when I’m not overwhelmed by lurching from one scheduled thing to the next. Sounds obvious and yet somehow I’ve beaten myself up for years for being too impatient and stressy with them.

Although I am also being extra loving because I’m terrified I might die and leave them mumless, so there’s that.

Knowhowufeel2 · 15/04/2020 00:42

Both of mine are happy as pigs in muck. They're 15 and 18.

They're enjoying lazing around, going on their phones and getting up a bit later, baking and experimenting with new recipes, cooking dinner, etc, catching up on tv shows, watching movies together as a family, playing board games and have even been sorting through their rooms and having a clear out.
The younger one had been doing her school work without being pushed but has taken the Easter week off and her school have said they're not going to bother giving any more work as a lot of children aren't doing it(!)

They were enjoying their daily walk, but they have been stuck in for the last 2 weeks as I've had the virus and so they had to isolate for 2 weeks.

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