Children thinking lockdown lasted years 😢

[Mayflower282]

Was talking with my kids about Covid (they were in primary school when it started, now in high school), they asked how long lockdown lasted and I couldn’t actually remember, but I said around 6 months…they were shocked and said they thought it was 2-3 years. I guess their perception of time at that age it felt longer. Felt so sad hearing this 😢

Anyone else had similar from their kids?

Yep. I’ve heard the same reasoning about playgrounds: closing them would make people more frightened, and prevent “gatherings” of parents while children played. In one playground, the sign “playground closed” was right next to a sign saying “play is essential for children”. Good on the parents who defied the closed playgrounds. It went on for far too long. And one side effect of all this is that I will never believe, respect or trust any politician, or any news outlet, for the rest of my life.

Agreed!
One issue for kids is kids can't meet up without adults facilitating it.

And you've just reminded me of the rule of 6 thing that meant baby groups couldn't happen either, mum & baby is two people.

People study for years to be a teacher. I am not a teacher. I'm sure I confused my kids more than necessary while trying to explain stuff

Well that’s how it was.

The priority was keeping people alive and if children had to miss their extra curriculars and the parents didn’t have time for them, then them’s the breaks.

I was stuck in the house for seven months - I didn’t even go for the one hour walk or whatever it was.

Oh well if they don’t want to be taught then of course let them fall behind - you can always blame the Government/old people etc.

I would think that most intelligent parents would want to help their child progress during shitty circumstances.

You were an adult. That was your choice.

Children didn't have choice.

Nursery children didn't see faces.

Children were being forced to were masks 😷 in schools until the summer term of 2022.

Covid affected 3 academic school years. Some children only spend 4 years in secondary school.

Just because parents want to help their kids doesn't mean they actually can. You've obviously never tried to homeschool a child.

Its one thing knowing stuff, teaching it, is a completely different skill set.
Teachers go to uni to learn to teach.

I wouldn’t expect people to do the syllabus, just the point about children not learning to talk because of masks and children not being able to write as the teachers couldn’t correct them.

My nephew drove from Powys to Hereford virtually every day of " lockdown" to go to work. He was never pulled over or challenged once.

It was nearly two years!!

That simply means I stuck to the rules and he didn't. The care home wouldn't have let me in anyway.

Was the priority keeping people alive? You keep dodging the pub thing, why could adults gather in the pub but children couldn't go to school? Remember the PPE scandal, party gate and dine out to help out?

Why send children to school in the first place? Because we want them to be educated by professional educators with a classroom of resources and a planned curriculum. We also want them to socialise with other children.

My kids did OK educationally during lockdowns, but I wasn't trying to WFH and we could afford the resources needed.
Like me and other posters have said not every child has parents who can or want to educate them, and the number of children still missing doesn't seem to bother you.

I'm guessing you didn't have young kids at home during covid?

I think food production was probably counted as an essential service. Nobody could work from home on a farm. I merely reported that nobody ever stopped or questioned his journeys.

Remember lots of parents were also trying to work.
And lots don't have a clue how to teach. Its a specialist skill.

DH and I managed to divide 8 coins by 2 in 2 different ways. One did 2 groups, 4 in each the other did sets of 2s, 4 sets.
Resulting in one confused 😢 😭 child.

I didn't think it was possible to divide by 2 in different ways.

Yes, when people mean it was possible to visit one's grandmother where they lived they ought really to say that.

I definitely wouldn't be following the you canny visit your granny rules again especially if you can met in a cafe.

Those rules made zero sense.

Do you think I didn't WANT to help my children?

I won't say what I am thinking as it'll get my comment deleted.

You have no idea the anguish I went through during that time. This conversation has opened up some huge wounds that I doubt will ever heal.

I cried on the phone to the teacher and he said 'some kids just don't respond to their parents teaching school stuff, they just want them to be their parent'. He said he was struggling to homeschool his own kids despite being a teacher!

I'm pleased lockdown was a breeze for you. I wish it had been for everyone.

Another stupid rule: closing schools but keeping international travel open. 👏👏👏

Not just not having a clue how to teach - my kids were older secondary age and studying advanced science and things like drama which I never did at school and have no experience of.

My 7yo refused to do anything set by the school. (Although she did her older sisters Maths... she just found hers over easy).

Her schools version of hone schooling was sending worksheets home. No actual interaction. The only time she saw a child other than her sister was the Cubs weekly zoom meeting. (We lived in the middle of nowhere).

Meanwhile over half of her class were in school full time....

Agreed.
As I say we manage to confuse our poor kid dividing by 2, God only knows how secondary kids were managing.

I think lots of kids struggle with parents as teachers.

I also know sports coaches who get other people to teach their kids.

Also the lack of exams meant that a lot of the teen angst was removed.

I have always done better in exams than teachers predicted - suspect DD1 would have got higher grades with exams partly as school was a low achieving one and was very conservative with grades. It also didn't help give her the experiences for later exams. It also didn't get rid of the stress as school was slilent in first lockdown despite it being GCSE year and it was very uncertain what was happening in all of Y11.

There was a lot of incidental experiences that young babies and kids missed out on - just being out in the world seeing speaking and mouth movements. In some cases parents had to work but there was no childcare so how much attention babies like DN got is very debatable.

My kids it's well in the rear mirror - it is for DD2 close friend who mental health decline in Y6 as well she doing well after a few tough years. They don't tend to talk about it at all. Others it completely derailed their lives or has left lingering problems - it did not hit evenly.

I think more research and interventions where needed would be good all round rather than denial of problems caused - no-one saying it's the same as being bombed just that isolation on such a huge scale and more screens has had lasting impact on some. Only time in my life we didn't leave the house and garden for weeks.

It was about two years - how that manifested depended on where you where in country and social economic factors - being dependent on public transport was a disadvantage as was smaller housing or more limited access to internet- and workplace factors - next door was working as normal throughout we weren't.

Totally agree it wasn't even.

DH was doing crazy hours with work
I struggled with my work and kids.

Meanwhile Mil kept telling us what a wonderful time SIL was having, both furloughed lots of time with their young kids.

I know several children who didn't struggle with lockdown, one who became very anxious as one of her parents has severe asthma and the possibility of them getting COVID was very frightening. I know another teenager who was suffering from anxiety and school refusal, by the end of lockdown she happily went back to school as a happy child.

People will react differently but I think the problem is that it is repeatedly referred to as something very damaging that has negatively affected their futures. If kids are constantly told that there is a danger it will become a self fulfilling prophecy. If some people are struggling they should get help but let's not make it worse than it needs to be

Well yes, my GC who were teenagers at the time loved that bit

My children and their partners were a mix of furloughed and working normally. The ones going out to work thought the furloughed ones were lucky and vice versa. You can't please everyone.