To say that every child and young person…

[KnowButNeedU2TellMeAsItIs]

That got through the pandemic, followed the rules, stayed indoors for long periods of time, endured isolation, online learning, ping pongs in and out of school, slow vaccination roll-out…

Should get a medal.

Our kids are amazing and gone through so much but not one bit of recognition.

It’s not an unfair observation imho.

And that’s the point - you are comparing adult experiences with childrens - and this is why you can’t see past yourself.

The experience for children was different because it hit many in their formative years - exams, hormones, needing to be outside for fresh air, all that energy. Layer that onto the at home experiences that they had - all different - some as young carers, some rich, some poor, some from neglectful or stressed or tidy or messy households.

It is quite something that we asked from them and they did it - outstandingly.

And for us adults to compare our adult situation to theirs is wrong. They will feel this in ways that we won’t understand for many years to come and we need to say thankyou and recognise them.

And a society that can’t or as I’m reading on this thread - won’t - recognise them is fucked.

And I say again, this thread has made me sad.

So mental health issues now come under the umbrella term of 'imagined trauma'?

And I am sorry that this was your experience- why do you need to compare that to children? And can you not understand that many children also had similar experiences but now do not have a voice?

No children did not have anywhere near the experience that I amd many other people had. It is absurd and insulting to even suggest that having to stay at home, do a bit of homeschooling etc is even in the same ballpark as holding the hands of people who are dying, whilst FaceTiming their grieving relatives so they can say goodbye.

Many children do live in horrendous situations. They have always done so. If we, as a society, care so much for children living in poverty, in chaotic households, with abusive parents, then why have we not made the requisite changes to our society before to help them, instead of voting for a party that cares about the poor and abused? Oh no, you preferred your Brexit and low taxes. Why the concern now? It helps with pointless arguments about how ,children have suffered and suddenly fits your narrative.

and this is the actual point - they did get on with it and collectively we haven’t said thankyou. Literally, they were denied freedoms at an age that is so important and we just ‘expect them to cope’?

Get your mum and dad to buy you a medal then.
And don't forget to do your homework before you go to school tomorrow

Someone still banging on about medals or thank-yous suggests someone with the luxury of not having more pressing concerns about what their child needs, like food, clothes, mental health support, SEN support, social services support, a decent education.

We need to do more for children living in terrible home circumstances. Nobody here is denying that, and if anything most posters are suggesting things that actually might have a positive impact on that, unlike your nebulous ideas about medals and thank yous.

The best way to handle the aftermath of an experience that has caused trauma is for us, as a society, to ensure that those people are properly treated and cared for. Those people will include but not exclusively be children.

You’re talking to people on this thread who have been traumatised and don’t have access to MH support, and you’re dismissing them because they’re not children, all of whom you’ve decided have trauma. That’s why you’re getting the responses you are. Not because we all don’t care about children - because we see what actually needs to happen, and it’s not waffley meaningless gestures to one group and one group only, but targeted help for those across society who need it.

I don't know any kids that suffered so much during lockdown, they were all loving being off school!

I know I probably shouldn't say this out loud but I think there's a lot of self-indulgent nonsense around Covid and the pandemic.

It's embarrassing now op that you're banging on about thank you's. Really it it. Get over it and yourself. No one needs a thank you. Your thank you is that you're still here today. Give your children a medal if you want but stop with the self indulgent nonsense. Banging on about denied freedom, when many children go through much worse in their daily normal course of life.

Why don’t you just thank them yourself, OP? Why does anyone else need to be involved? Such a bizarre thing to get stressed about. If you feel your kids went above and beyond in lockdown, do whatever you want to thank them.

For me, I would rather my kids saw it as something to get on with and have built resilience from. They don’t seem
to need any thanks; they are both fine.

Parent how you want to parent, and leave everyone else alone.

And that’s the point - you are comparing adult experiences with childrens - and this is why you can’t see past yourself

Of course there will be an element of that but largely I’m basing my view on the experience of a variety of children, teens and families I know across the country of a good mix of economic and social statuses. Are you? Or are you actually focussing on the worst cases (to which a ‘thank you’ means f all, they need tangible support and security) and/or actually projecting your own feelings and experience onto children?

It is quite something that we asked from them and they did it - outstandingly

there was no choice in it for them (or anyone really). ‘Thank you’ implies that there was and undermines your own argument. I don’t ‘thank’ anyone for following the law.

And for us adults to compare our adult situation to theirs is wrong. They will feel this in ways that we won’t understand for many years to come and we need to say thankyou and recognise them.

but we’re not comparing an adult experience to a child’s experience. Posters on this thread have outlined the scale of trauma and hardship we’re dealing with. For the majority children it barely flicked the dial. Recognising the situation in the ways your suggesting do nothing to the point of apathy - ‘thanks for locking down kids, sterling job. What’s that? Your GCSE’s are fucked? LOL, we said thank you love. Crack on.’

And a society that can’t or as I’m reading on this thread - won’t - recognise them is fucked

I mean, I agree we’re fucked but not because of the views on this thread or even particularly as a direct consequence of lockdowns or restrictions.

And I say again, this thread has made me sad

….and, again, here we are. Talking about your sadness, your projection of your experience onto every child, your notion of what would be a suitable compensation. You’ve decided that your way is the only way and despite calling for ‘debate’ earlier in the thread you want nothing of the sort and immediately reject every counter point or criticism of your call for ‘thank you’ without even considering there may be a middle ground, different approach or even improvement on your starting point.