to think that this is really sad for the young children?

[PrettyLittleLiar20]

I’ve got a young child who is so so bored at home. Constantly asks if we can go to the playground. I say no the playground is closed. Can we go to the beach mummy? No because we’re not allowed. Mummy can we go to McDonald’s? No because it’s closed. I’m just so so sad for my DD and im constantly feeling bad because she doesn’t understand any of this.

[CarolineIngalls]

My 3 year old has never been happier. She loves staying at home with all of us.

I miss her nursery and activities more than she does. She loves our "going on an bear hunt walks", craft projects, and the endless disney plus.

I am shattered but the kids are happy. DH and I alternate work with childcare so I know we are lucky. Work is suffering but the kids are alright.

[Stellamboscha]

I feel sad for little kids stuck in this uncontrolled experiment when the 'elderly' and 'vulnerable' where I live (with their own gardens) are our walking and their selfishness will probably prolong the misery.

[Orgulous]

Only children are essentially losing their entire peer group. That's huge. We've tried doing Skype conversations with my four year old's friends, but he's too little too really make it work. It is sad. Other people living through sadder times doesn't take that child's sadness away.

[Nighttimefreedom]

Alsohuman it didn't used to be a normal childhood to be indoors not seeing friends or family! Not going to school! Not normal at all.

[PrettyLittleLiar20]

@physcomath because that’s not logical love. I’ll be back in a minute... let me just go and explain to my child that she’s very very very lucky to be eating that pasta for dinner tonight because there are people in Africa who don’t have it. You’re pathetic.

[MarieQueenofScots]

Why does it always get into competitive misery.

It’s so tiresome that there can’t be a post these days without “at least x isn’t happening” etc.

OP YANBU. Of course it’s sad for small children

[GlendaSugarbeanIsJudgingYou]

You can feel sad about a certain situation and still acknowledge that there are worse things going on.

This.

Of course it's crap for them at the moment.

MN is just awash with competitive "caring" dickheads at the moment. It's embarrassing.

[formerbabe]

It’s what used to be a normal childhood

A normal childhood involved huge amounts of time playing with their friends...

[BeetrootRocks]

I agree it's far from normal as well.

No school, no friends to see, no playing out etc etc

[Nighttimefreedom]

I think psychomath was joking. At least I hope they were!

[psychomath]

OP I was being sarcastic, I totally agree with you Appreciate it's probably hard to tell amongst some of these replies though!

[mbosnz]

@PrettyLittleLiar20 it's okay and understandable to feel sad, and grieve that the life you thought your little one would be living right now, has been taken away from them. But (and I know it's bloody hard, having to do this again is sucking for me), we need to be the strong, positive ones for our kids, the ones who say, yep, this is odd, this sucks, but we can do x or y, even if we can't do z.

And then we can collapse into a puddle of negativity and wine once they're in bed. As much as possible, don't let them see how sad and upset you are, it scares the shit out of them. Mum and/or Dad are their superheroes, and they take their lead as to how scary and bad a situation is, from us.

[DonnaDarko]

I agree with you OP. I can't believe some of the responses on this thread - some are just downright rude.

I have the greatest sympathy for anyone affected by the virus, fully understand the importance of social distancing and only left my house for the first time in 3 weeks earlier today... But that doesn't mean that I don't feel bad for my son. He's nearly 4 and starting school in September, too. He's an only child so I'm the only "entertainment" he's got. He's been at nursery full time since he was 7 months old and I can tell he's missing nursery and that social interaction.

I know he probably won't remember any of this but that doesn't mean I don't feel a bit shit about it.

I know that there are children all of the world in worst positions but feeling sad about what your child is missing out on is relative, it's based on missing what is usually the norm.

[formerbabe]

People want to make out that children are lucky because they have technology and material possessions. Children aren't all that materialistic. Despite all the fancy days out and possessions he has, my ds told me once the best day of his life was when his whole class went to the park and then went to buy chips and ate them on the grass...

[Babyboomtastic]

Yes, I think it's sad for them, though it's a lot worse for others, do I don't dwell on it too much.

I don't know how old your daughter is, but given your conversations, I'm guessing at least 2.5. my child isn't yet three and gets the gist of what's going on, why we can't go places, playground, see friends etc. She doesn't get the scary sire, but understanding why she cant see people etc has meant she stops asking about it, and is much more content at home. I think they can understand more than we gift them credit for sometimes.

[Nighttimefreedom]

I don't think OP has said she's not being strong, positive etc etc.
I am being all of these things but still in my own private thoughts I feel sorry for them, and i worry about the mental health of one of my DC in particular.

[Alsohuman]

Some people really have a chip on their shoulder on here

No, they don’t. They have a sense of perspective.

[AnneLovesGilbert]

No one made you post on AIBU. Some people think you are. It happens.

[RarePackOfLooRoll]

I feel sad for my 18yo. Doing a hands on course at uni in a city 3 hours away. Just made the varsity hockey team after 3 tries now home. Her uni teying their best to turn a practical.courseinto.elearning. she's missing her friends, lost her job, still,got to pay for her unused room in halls, missing her boyfriend who lives the otherside of the country, cant meet up with her old school friends in our village who have also found themselves at home abruptly, missing hockey training and her matches, missing a uni trip to HongKong and not uet knowing when or if the refund will come through.

I feel sorry for my niece she turns 18 next week. No A levels she prepared for, a cancelled 18th Birthday party, cancelled leaving prom.

I feel sad for my friend who's husband died last week.Her adult children live abroad and can't get here. She attended her husband's funeral alone today.

It's shit all round for all of us on some level.
I get kids don't understand why their lives have changed though.

All we can do is take it a day at a time and get through this.

[PrettyLittleLiar20]

@psychomath oh I’m so sorry! I actually thought there that you were amongst the mad lot who think I should not ever feel sadness for my child because there are worst off people out there.

[CokeEnStock]

I think it's really bad for people's MH to deny what they are feeling. I read somewhere a great article that this almost like a grieving process at the moment. We are deprived of our normal lives, our friends, family and plans. Of course it's ok to feel sad how ever old you bloody are. Fair enough we shouldn't be wallowing in self pity if we are in more fortunate circumstances than others. But surely the best thing we can do is support each other rather than do the competitive virtue signalling and smug "I've locked myself in the cellar and everyone else is a murderer" type shit. I despair of people sometimes.

[PrettyLittleLiar20]

People want to make out that children are lucky because they have technology and material possessions. Children aren't all that materialistic. Despite all the fancy days out and possessions he has, my ds told me once the best day of his life was when his whole class went to the park and then went to buy chips and ate them on the grass...



Spot on.

[BeijingBikini]

Of course it's sad. I feel sad and I'm one of the "lucky" ones with savings and a town with nice country walks. But of course you can feel sad when the situation is sad!

[NerrSnerr]

It's not a competition of who or what is sadder. I see sad things every day at work and at the moment it's distressingly sad. I also feel sad that I can't go to my usual toddler group on a Wednesday where I have a coffee with friends and catch up. That doesn't take away the worse things that are happening

I also find it hard because there is a whole 'who can parent during lockdown the best' element going on (which is evidenced on this thread). In our house we're doing our best but we're exhausted, stressed and bloody wish everything can go back to normal so we can all have a McDonalds and a run in the park!

[GlendaSugarbeanIsJudgingYou]

I am so not a superhero to my DC right now.

I am the dastardly "Lady No", a villain who is currently holding them captive and torturing them with math work and crafts.