To think that everyone who told those with preschool children in 2020/21 to get a puddlesuit and that lockdown wasn’t that bad needs to read this

[manysummersago]

BBC link

Reading the above has made me feel so angry and sad at what was done to the babies and toddlers of this country, and I can’t believe that we let it happen, quite honestly.

@CornishGem1975

I am fully aware that the health visitor service has been dramatically cut. I just don’t agree that a 2 year old review is ok over the phone. Many parents (especially isolated during lockdown) don’t know what is normal and what is abnormal, especially if it’s their first child.

Foolish people, not understanding that some parents were working full time while looking after their children.

Cornishgem and Whatalovelydaffodil
How delightful for you as a SAHM that your children thrived.
Are you actually aware that lots of parents were working while looking after their young children.

Ridiculous

No I don't agree either @Spudyoulikeit and I declined it on that basis, just pointing out that the problems with those services aren't covid related but it will be a convenient excuse. There was also no need for it to be over the phone, they classed themselves as frontline key workers but spent the pandemic hidden away. Some were redeployed but not all.

It will really go down in history in my view. Only beaten by perhaps Spain that also insisted on keeping children inside for the whole time as well.

It was abuse, and the worst thing?

Our children get to foot the bill for their own damage to the tune of billions and billions. It is a scandalous and horrific thing to happen to children of all ages.

@Howeverdoyouneedme

The fact that report mentions children not hearing stories or singing? That's a parenting issue, not a lockdown one!

Not if people were working full time and usually the signing would be in nursery.

But even if you continued working full time then surely you'd expect to be still reading stories and singing to them in the evenings?

That was what I thought that a lot of what it mentions would always have been regarded as parenting.

Also I've seen a lot of normal behaviours blamed on lockdown. Like the one up thread which blames a fear of public toilets. That's so common it was one of the things mentioned by the reception teacher when dd1 was starting school. One of mine is in their late teens and still would try and avoid going when out unless absolutely necessary.

I wouldn't deny that some children have had a dreadful lockdown. But among parents I know they're much more divided between those whose dc thrived in lockdown and those who struggled than the media portrayal.
Actually that wouldn't be difficult because I'm not sure I've seen anything about children who thrived in lockdown. In RL I'd say it was much closer to 50/50.

And I wouldn't take the BBC on this. They were the ones taking pictures of six children well spaced in a classroom proclaiming how covid safe schools were and that covid didn't spread in schools because of the magic unicorn dust that was sprinkled round the (non-opening) windows.

Most of the negative traits mentioned are due to neglect not lack of preschool. Kids need interaction with other humans, it doesn't need to be preschool it can be parents, my kids didn't go to nursery until 3. The talking in cartoon voices is because they were left watching tv - something that's usually observed in certain circumstances where kids are left to their own devices. Plenty of kids have thrived, my niece and nephew really benefited from having both their parents home, and sil still works from home so can do the school run (makes up hours in the evening)

Not a SAHM @canary1 I had the "luxury" of being on maternity leave for the first lockdown, I was working full-time for the November - April one so no need for the snark. I also have older DC.

@Swayingpalmtrees

The threads on here were horrendous with many posters determined to keep our schools closed indefinitely because it was not 'safe' despite jetting to Spain etc for their holidays. We were fighting to get them reopened not for childcare but for the children.

I will never forgive the unions for making it so difficult for our children to go to school, never. Many of my teacher friends stopped supporting the unions after that.They did not care about our children! They knew this was causing great damage and did not care.

We know teens that did not make it tragically and it was avoidable, the ones that did come through some of whom have serious mental health problems, possibly be for life, most have low level anxiety even now.

This pandemic has greatly damaged a whole generation of children - and masks should be banned from school indefinitely. They are still being used to the detriment of children and are useless anyway at preventing covid.

I try not to look back in anger, but honestly it is unforgivable.

I will never lockdown ever again. My children will never be subjected to this again.

Completely agree with this. It's a national scandal that we allowed our children to be harmed in this way. I can't forgive the unions or certain teachers either, or certain ex friends who were out and out lockdown zealots. Interestingly they were people without kids who lived in the south west countryside with little in the way of change to their normal routine. In northern cities it was almost a permanent lockdown for 2 years and it was grim. We're paying for a tutor for DD to catch up so she actually gets her GCSEs. More unfairness as her and her cohort had utter chaos for year 8 and year 9 but the previous exam grade marker system has been reverted back to. No one in her class is doing as well as they should be in English literature as they missed most of year 9, even the really bright kids. At least the kids in 2020 got their grades from teachers... And all did loads better. This generation of kids is going to be the lost generation and we've all bleated about "safe" and let it happen...

Interesting how Ofsted have written this report but stopped coming into schools for nearly 2 years

We didn't let it happen as we had no clue what covid was, what it would do and the long term consequences. It was quite a while before people started to think about things and I doubt babies not being able to read faces was top five for most people.

It's all very well saying we let things happen but that is incorrect. We had no choice unless you were willing to risk getting ill, dying or being fined.

The government’s choice to open the pubs before schools - for all years, before someone shrieks the schools never closed - made and still makes me furious.

Children were failed by the government. There’s no money to be made from education so it wasn’t valued.

Bastards

@Swayingpalmtrees

It will really go down in history in my view. Only beaten by perhaps Spain that also insisted on keeping children inside for the whole time as well.

It was abuse, and the worst thing?

Our children get to foot the bill for their own damage to the tune of billions and billions. It is a scandalous and horrific thing to happen to children of all ages.

Swaying I hear you. The damage is done, I found it incredibly hard to watch at the time, now I’m not surprised we’re seeing the kick back. Children especially but in many areas.

@CornishGem1975

Not at all *@Goldbar* but nobody is working every hour of the day.

As I've already said, I work full time but still find time to do that stuff with my kids. Doesn't have to be done all day every day, 30 mins of reading, a 20 min walk at the end of the day? Find it hard to think nobody can find the time for that and if they can't, maybe they need to adjust their priorities.

I don’t think many parents struggle or struggled to do a bit of reading or a walk with their children. But I think a lot of parents did struggle to do their paid jobs from home for 8-9 hours a day while simultaneously meeting all their children’s needs.

If all your children need from an adult in a 24 hour period is 30 minutes of reading time and a quick walk, then they’re lower maintenance than mine. In fact they’re lower maintenance than my dog.

I'd like to see some proper figures on the drop that children suffered.

It's very convenient for the government - under whom standards have been dropping because of their repeated slashing of services to have a nice catch all "oh that was because of Covid".

Slashing of budgets for education, intervention, early years and the NHS (especially mental health services) was causing more and more and more problems as we went and was a ticking timebomb.
That should not be forgotten when looking at problems caused because of lockdowns.

I hear you on that @Frenziedandfurious My DD is doing GCSEs and she is stressed to the eyeballs. The "advance info" hasn't helped at all, just served to confuse them more. The toll on her mental health has been greater than any effect on my youngest. Add to that, not being able to do any of the usual teen things - there have been no parties, no hanging out at weekends, going to friends houses.

@CornishGem1975

It’s terrible what has happened to the HV service. I think the importance of early years development is often talked down as ‘they don’t remember’. And yes covid has been used as a convenient excuse by many.

@Swayingpalmtrees Agree.

Over 180 000 people have died of Covid in the UK. This was with harsh lockdowns. What would the consequences have been without lockdowns?

This time 2 years ago hospitals were horrific- I had to send my children to lockdown school so I could go and help dozens of people to die peacefully every day. At this time we had no idea what the risks were to children but I did not have the luxury of protecting my kids at home. The needs of others were greater.

People on here seem to think there should have been a solution for us to get through a global pandemic without any harm caused to a single person. This is so naive.

The harsh restrictions implemented by the government saved thousands of lives. Of course there are consequences- on our preschoolers, on our teenagers, on ourselves.

We now need to be focusing on how we deal with the consequences, not criticising the decisions made with the best intensions during an unprecedented crisis.

@Chasingaftermidnight I'm not saying that's all they need I'm saying that if you can't find 20 mins to read a few stories at the end of the day.

I don’t think anyone is disputing that funding is an issue (or lack thereof) but I honestly do not know how anyone can claim with a straight face that shutting down everything apart from supermarkets for six months and forbidding interaction with everybody except members of your own household has had no effect on children.

[quote Spudyoulikeit]@CornishGem1975

I am fully aware that the health visitor service has been dramatically cut. I just don’t agree that a 2 year old review is ok over the phone. Many parents (especially isolated during lockdown) don’t know what is normal and what is abnormal, especially if it’s their first child.[/quote]
No, but this isn't a situation unique to lockdown. The funding for HV services goes up and down. When my 15 year old was due hers they didn't do them anymore in our area. We just had a letter to say that we could contact them if we were worried.

@JustLyra

I'd like to see some proper figures on the drop that children suffered.

It's very convenient for the government - under whom standards have been dropping because of their repeated slashing of services to have a nice catch all "oh that was because of Covid".

Slashing of budgets for education, intervention, early years and the NHS (especially mental health services) was causing more and more and more problems as we went and was a ticking timebomb.
That should not be forgotten when looking at problems caused because of lockdowns.

Exactly. All of those have had budgets cut to the bone and were buckling pre covid, there has always been unfair disparities in young children's development (and no, 15 hours a week for a few children doesn't remedy that). Not to say that the pandemic didn't have an effect as of course it did, but some are so busy blaming it that once again the government uses it as a shield and an excuse and won't bother to address the underlying issues. There won't be any figures published as usually no one is arsed.

@Spudyoulikeit The importance of the first 1000 days has been well publicised for years, but seemingly forgot by our government.

OP notably doesn't relate to the BBC story, which doesn't mention incontinence issues at all.

YABU

@manysummersago

BBC link

Reading the above has made me feel so angry and sad at what was done to the babies and toddlers of this country, and I can’t believe that we let it happen, quite honestly.

just feel thankful you dont live in China - they are separating parents and children with covid .