Page 24 -

TODAY’S CHILD

WHERE HAS LOCKDOWN LEFT OUR

CHILDERN?

By Dr Ilse Ruane

he coronavirus pandemic and other losses too. For teens, the loss of schools and teachers has been highly
subsequent lockdown has left us their social life may be crippling, along challenging.
Twondering how to gauge accurately with the loss of visiting grandparents.
the impact the situation is having on A parent may have lost a job.... and Challenging experiences at home:
children, teens and adults' general there's the deprivation of normal life. There are children and teens that had
mental health and well-being. While Regardless of the type of loss, many will to face lockdown in already challenging
experiences of lockdown might be varied, be experiencing a sense of grief. Children home environments. These circumstances
everyone would confirm that it has been a and teens respond to their losses in have in all likelihood been amplified
challenging time in some way or another. different ways. Some may become sad and during lockdown, as families have been
withdrawn, while others appear anxious or quarantined together. Others will have
Parents are aware of the complex and angry. faced challenges for the first time. These
sometimes traumatic experiences that may include: financial concerns, domestic
children have been going through during Arguably, one of the greatest losses has violence, abuse, neglect, family conflict,
lockdown. However, it is worth unpacking been school as children know it. Being caring responsibilities, hunger and
some here (my list is by no means that school takes up most of a child’s day, housing concerns.
exhaustive): we need to acknowledge the pivotal role
schools play. Schools provide more than Inequalities:
Losses: just academic learning to children and When schools opened, we were plugging
We are grieving the loss of 2020; birthday teens. In addition, children learn social the proverbial hole and trying to make the
parties, christenings, weddings, funerals, and emotional skills. They have exercise best of the situation with hygiene protocols
braai’s and travelling. opportunities, access to mental health and practical coping tools. In going
support systems and other things that forward, we will need to be cognisant of
Perhaps more directly related is that cannot be provided online. Schools and what has happened to children during
children will have relatives or friends that teachers, specifically, are geared to being lockdown. Not only taking particular
have contracted the virus and who may be supportive towards children through the notice of children previously identified
ill. Some may have died of the coronavirus challenges that they face in life. In the as vulnerable but keeping an eye on the
or due to other illnesses. But there are majority, if not all, of the children... as they
current situation, the physical access to

22 INTRA MUROS SEPTEMBER 2020