Is anyone worried about their primary-age child?

[pistachionuts]

My son is 9 and seriously seems to be struggling mental health wise as the pandemic has dragged on, and seems to be getting worse :( he never had any problems before, was always a happy easy well-rounded child who has now transformed into an anxious boy who loses his temper quickly, cries easily and is always getting stressed and angry.
He hates homeschooling and it’s an absolute struggle trudging through all the work school sets whilst he rubs his eyes and fidgets and stares at the laptop, he always plods on and finishes it but has little motivation and no enjoyment.
I’m trying everything I can to try and make the time at home as nice as possible but there’s only so much I can do.
Is anyone else finding this with their children? He’s like a completely different person im so sad and worried :(

One of my primary aged children has gone from easy going, adaptable and happy to crying everyday. They’ve never been like this before. It’s the stress of home school, I think there’s more pressure though I try not to pressurise, I think they feel too ‘observed’. And not seeing friends or playing with them. I desperately hope it’s temporary 😔

Yes OP, my Year 2 DS, doing exactly as you describe. But my older 2 (9 and 12) are fine and so is my 4 year old. I think my 7 year old is sensitive and likes certainty and routine. He has gone from compliant and loving child to anxious, rage, can’t follow instructions etc, everything is an argument and has to be his way. I think he feels his life is out of control. His resilience is depleted. I just hope it is temporary but I am so sad for him.

Yes. My 6 year old is absolutely broken.

No. All my children are fine and just getting on with it.
My daughter struggled a wee bit at the beginning and thinks it ducks but they accept it.

Sucks not ducks!
She struggled in first wave. Not this one.

My daughter is 9.

I could have written this post. Just wanted to echo what other posters are saying, you and your DC aren't alone
It's awful, my eldest (8) is just so sad and I'm worried what it has done to his mental health, I really don't know what we can do to try make it better at this stage.

The only social activity he has other than school is online Cubs meeting, but I think he's just zoomed out tbh.

No, but he's at school and has been since Jan 11. They need to be in school.

Yes, my 7 year old was exhibiting signs of depression or something like it. Tearful, angry, hitting herself, refusing to get up all day, sleepwalking and bad dreams.
The kids are being forgotten about in my opinion and I reckon there are so many poor children who are struggling so badly.
Could you not see if your child could go to school as a vulnerable child?

Yes, my daughter is really struggling. And lots of school parents are saying the same. School just vanishes when we lockdown. They don't make any effort to interact with the children at all, I think mine feel a real sense of loss.

Yes mine is
I can't provide what she needs at the minute I'm struggling

My son is 8 but apart from that I could have written your post.

I'm so fed up with this black and white view where anyone expressing concern about the effects of lockdown are shouted down. My little boy has become a shell of his former self in the last year and there is zero support available.

My 8yo DS is really struggling. He loves school. Yesterday they had a live chat with the teacher and this time she had all the key worker kids in the background. He had to close the laptop because he got so upset that his friends can go and he can't. My heart breaks for him. My 5yo is happy at home but just wants to watch tv all day. Both have lost their sparks. It is a battle to get them outside for fresh air.

Yes very much so. DC in year 1 is a very sociable child struggled particularly in first lockdown as an only child. Became very down and difficult. Thankfully since baby has been born (DC2) we are able to form a bubble with grandma & grandad which has helped somewhat.

Education wise I am also very worried. I am not able to provide what DC needs. It's all having a big impact here.

School are not providing much. No videos or live lessons. No interaction with classmates at all.

Similar situation with my DC. I'm worried whether we'll ever come back for it as the behaviour has seen such a change.

My Year 2 child is OK. I would say he is slightly more emotional than usual but nothing bad really. He doesn’t mind his zoom lessons and really loves it when his teacher leaves positive comments about his work.

I’m a primary school teacher myself and in my class it is a mixed bag. I think it’s just like the pandemic for adults - same storm but different boats

My daughter 8 was bit like this, I hadn't fully associated it with being out of school until September when she returned became her happy self again.
This week I notice it returning a bit, school work making her anger, asking for food more often harder to motivate her to exercise.
She is a people person loves interaction, discussions ect some difficulty with literacy so having school all home based which is almost all written causes her additional stress.
As she was so happy September I'm hopeful she will bounce back again.
Did you notice your child improve when in school?

Yep. Y3 7yr old really struggling. Huge rage, tried to hit me yesterday. Very, very concerned about his resilience and mental health. Almost glad to hear it’s not just us though so sorry for all your suffering kids too.

Yes. Am very worried about my 4 year old. He missed out on preschool (went back for June only) and struggled then. Just settled into school and struggling again. A very social child who can’t sit looking at screens all day.
I have an older child who seems ok for now, but the rules mean I’m not allowed to take them to meet other children.

God it makes me a bit relieved to hear about the rage bit
Makes me think maybe it's a bit more normal

Yes. Your post describes my 9 year old DS exactly. I'm so sad for him.

Yes. DD is 5 and an only child. She’s become anxious, volatile, frightened of an increasing range of things and rarely engages with schoolwork. I’ve made my concerns clear to her teacher but there’s not a huge amount she can do remotely. No chance of a school place as she’s not vulnerable enough and a third of the class are already in. They cannot allow schools to remain shut again for months; too many children will be broken by it.

And if anyone comes on here mouthing about ‘resilience’, let me be the first one to tell you to fuck off.

My youngest is like this, age 8. They are doing two interactions a day which is helping. But otherwise she is sad, scared, angry, stressed.... I am going easy on her, not making her do all her work and just getting her through as best I can. I am also having to play down the seriousness of it all now. I think me taking the rules seriously has almost made things worse.

Yes, I was going to start a thread about being worried about my 7yo dd actually (she's in year 2).

She's genuinely such a happy child, never has to be told off for anything and just an angel in general. She's always been a bit anxious but not overly or anything to worry about. She started struggling towards the end of lockdown 1 but luckily as she was in Y1 she was able to go back to school soon after that. This time she's gone rapidly downhill straight away and I'm so worried about her. She's so anxious, worried, crying all the time. Saying she's so sad and lonely. It's awful as I can't do anything to help