As schools begin to reopen, many excited and hopeful parents are surprised to find themselves facing yet another hurdle – the anxiety and fear of their children as they approach the transition from bedroom to classroom.
From Monday, kids in preschool, kindy and year 1 will be thrust back into the world of classes, sport, after-school activities and socialising, with their older peers to follow progressively afterwards. Many are apprehensive. Even those looking forward to life returning to normal have mixed feelings about what’s ahead.
Children are resilient but that does not mean they are not apprehensive about returning to school.
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The pandemic has inarguably changed our children’s day-to-day lives, and the lockdown has dictated a narrowing of their existence. They have been in hibernation, a quiet routine of getting up in the morning, making their way to their desk, and spending most of the day there in solitude experiencing school through the detached prism of Zoom.
This routine is now firmly established. Whether they enjoy being at home or not, there is comfort and security in this routine. They are now facing change again and this stress is cumulative. Young people, having been through so much already, become more depleted with each new transition.
The start of an average school year holds many concerns for children – leaving the security of parents, coping with school work, making friends – but coming out of lockdown is more complex.
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Children in lockdown have had very little social exposure and friendships may have dissipated. General activity levels have been low. As they return to school, their stimulation dial turns from 0 to 100 overnight. Parents have only to reflect on how they feel about returning to the workplace to empathise with their children.
Adding to concerns about friendships, many children have anxiety about falling behind with their work. There remains fear around catching COVID-19 and whether they will have to go into lockdown again.
While most children have concerns about going back to school, there is a subgroup of particularly vulnerable children. Children with separation anxiety fear leaving home, or parting from loved ones. The nature of lockdown is likely to exacerbate this condition, as seen after the first Sydney lockdown, with reports of children hiding under their beds to avoid going to school.
Even the most eager students have fears about going back to school
Source: Philippines Alive
