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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask whether your child is behaving differently during lockdown?

49 replies

Rainbowb · 16/05/2020 20:44

My 8yo dd seems to be stropping a lot, crying over silly things, becoming very whiny. We don’t ask much of her at all but just getting her dressed and outside is a massive daily battle. We understand how much she must be missing her friends so we probably let her get away with quite a bit but just wondered how other children were feeling and acting?

OP posts:

Flowers2020bloom · 16/05/2020 20:47

Same - lots more tantrums than normal! They eased after a few weeks but have ramped back up with the talk of schools being open again

ParkheadParadise · 16/05/2020 20:51

Dd(4) every morning without fail gets her backpack and stands at the door asking to go to nursery. When we tell her its closed she asks to go to the park.
When we go for a walk we walk by the nursery she stands looking in the gates then tells me it's still closed.
She definitely having more tantrums than usual and missing her cousin's.

purpleme12 · 16/05/2020 20:54

Yes
She's not coping if you ask me, she is not a child who adapts well to learning at home
But I'd be putting myself out on a limb if I put her back in school in June as I've no idea if I should do it or not and no one else I know is doing it

purpleme12 · 16/05/2020 22:05

I'm not coping either

YesILikeItToo · 16/05/2020 22:14

Of course! The whole thing’s a complete nightmare for everyone, and children haven’t the life experience to help them handle it.

Mawbags · 16/05/2020 22:17

My children are delighted

I’m stressed as hell

Spot the extravert!!

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 16/05/2020 22:18

More clingy. Kinder, except to each other.

IamAporcupine · 16/05/2020 22:22

My 8yo is definitely more moody and needy, I'd even say that he regressed somehow - he sometimes to be a baby, etc etc. More nightmares too

SpeedofaSloth · 16/05/2020 22:25

DS(11) has been really up and down, emotionally. His life is usually filled with sports activities and his mental health is not great without them, we've known that about him since toddlerhood - he is the reason we have NT membership because outdoors was everything before he was old enough for team sports.

DD(6) is much more self sufficient and is faring better, I think. She is better at solo play, and I wonder if that is saving her just now.

Poing · 16/05/2020 22:54

Mine are quite happy to be home. They do miss school and their friends but they themselves play a lot normally together. It has been great weather, and they are enjoying the stress-free morning sleep-ins before we start their school-work. Less stress, more play, which is lovely. School starts back three days a week from Monday, so we will see how they go (not in the UK)

Poing · 16/05/2020 22:57

We also have a health background, and I wonder whether our reaction to the coronavirus shut-down influenced there behaviour. We were very practical and open in explaining it, and they (7 and 9) just get on with their altered day.

Poing · 16/05/2020 22:57

*their, not there! Yuk

luggageandbags · 16/05/2020 22:59

Mine (6 and 3) are happy, chilled and kind to each other. Sleeping and eating well too and the 6yo insists he’s not missing friends. Only now realising how stressful normal life is for them with school, clubs, childminders, playdates etc. Usually they are tantrum prone, not great at falling asleep etc, the lockdown has been a revelation.

Vellum · 16/05/2020 23:03

DS(8) is loving it. He’d had a lot of change in his life over the previous six months, including DH working abroad, an international move and an entirely new school system, so I think he’s loving having both parents at home, no school, and being outdoors a lot. I think it’s given him a bit of a rest, where not much is being expected of him for a change.

managedmis · 16/05/2020 23:04

DS is waaaay more babyish. I guess he's met 3 year old DD in the middle. They keep playing at 'babies' and DS now wants to take a Teddy on walks, he hasn't done this for years.

They are both a lot more clingy

managedmis · 16/05/2020 23:05

BUT they are both loving the slower schedule, more outdoor time and easier pace!

BillyAndTheSillies · 16/05/2020 23:12

Four year old DS has three or four great days and then one full of tantrums. Doesn't want to go outside because he's scared, and because he's sad.
He's usually really sociable but won't speak to anyone on zoom or FaceTime because it makes him sad.
He's become super clingy, needs DH or I to do everything with him, which has now extended to needing one of us in the bath with him as well.

Ds2 is a ray of sunshine and has become so attached to DH it's lovely. I sometimes catch him looking at me when DS1 has a tantrum as if to say "will it ever be quiet again?".

Despite all this I think DS1 is handling it quite well but desperately missing his friends and tells me regularly how much he misses his grandparents and uncles (who mostly live at home so he sees them whenever he sees his grandparents - which is a lot).

Muddlingalongalone · 16/05/2020 23:17

Dd1 is 9 and has been an angel - seems to have visibly grown up as the weeks have gone on.
Dd2 is like a see-saw - can be brilliant & loads of fun but can be an absolute ball of anger. She's s bit like this anyway but lockdown seems to have perpetuated it.
Have realised the odd day we don't go out for a long bike ride, scoot, walk she is awful - so long may the weather stay good....

SparkyBlue · 16/05/2020 23:17

Mine are absolutely loving life right now. I have a four and a seven year old. Both were happy at school and pre school but they are absolutely loving being at home. Myself and DH are real homebirds so obviously the DC are taking after us .

Chillipeanuts · 16/05/2020 23:18

No, not really.

Gibbonsgibbonsgibbons · 16/05/2020 23:19

Mine are completely normal - they miss their friends & activities but completely fine in themselves.

YouBringLightInToADarkPlace · 16/05/2020 23:25

My DS is 2.5 and has become so sad and stressed the longer it's gone on. He starts the day asking if we can go and see so-and-so today, and tries it on all day, just changing the names. Then he cries when I say "maybe tomorrow" or similar.
He also gets very upset if we video chat with people, he thinks it a prelude to seeing them- "now we go and see them?". His sleep has regressed to waking every 2 hours crying or having bad dreams.
There is no easy age or this, sadly he is far too little to understand, but big enough to miss people.

Ronnie27 · 16/05/2020 23:25

Yeah both fine. A bit bored maybe and there is way too much screen time going on but it’s been nice to be home with them and not rushing around frantically to various work / club / family / school commitments.

Rono16 · 16/05/2020 23:32

Yep, its definitely rough! Lots of saying no I will have this, do this when I go to school and asking to go to school, I just spent 45 min calming my 3 year old down because she "is so small and I am so big, I'm going to break the house!", looks like I'm not carrying the lock down weight as well as I hoped

TheGirlWithAPrince · 16/05/2020 23:34

Yes its tough, i used to take my two to the childrens play centre 3 times a week so now a big difference. Son runs to the car all excited when we leave the house then gets to disappointed when returning home after going shop and will strop :( it sad

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