Children in a Pandemic – How has this affected them?

Living as a child in a pandemic.

This last year has been an experience. I know I have been affected, so how has the pandemic affected children?

During 2020’s lock down, for the Podcast, I interviewed my son on how he had found the pandemic and schooling from home. At 13 years old it was an interesting insight.

As parents/adults we definitely are guilty of projecting onto our children. And of course we don’t mean to, our intentions are all good. But sometimes we can’t help it.

The fact is children are coping better than we think.

Most of our worries as parents/teachers, is that the children won’t have the up bringing and experience that we had. Well no shit! They aren’t supposed to. They are growing up now not 30 years ago. These are children in a pandemic – they’re childhood is different.

This is their time and why do we expect them to grow up the same as us?

My son Charlie is a digital native, so learning via Google Meets or Zoom is no biggie for him.

Their Childhood is meant to be different from ours

I was teaching my Yoga classes in School via Google Meets. The children were perfectly fine and, yes, I would have rather have been in the room with them. But at present, assisting is at a bare minimum anyway. So once I read the Ts & Cs of practicing at home it was a breeze.

Meet children where they are.

‘Meet the child where they are, not where you expect them to be’

This mantra runs frequently through my head.

We are not here to thrust our expectations onto children.

By enabling them to be, just where they are, will give them the confidence to feel worthy, acknowledged and bloom into fully rounded adults.

I appreciate that a child who is going through an emotional reaction that may result in injury either to themselves or you, it is difficult to stand back, however the language we use is VITAL!!

There are no ‘shoulds’ when talking to children. They need to be heard and accepted.

Listen hard to children

Keeping them safe, but also listening to them, and not on a surface level – ‘ yes I shall put my phone down while you talk’ – but a fully open hearted, listening, with every sense. Your eyes, your body, your skin – really listen to a child.

Nothing they feel or experience is wrong and no emotion is irrelevant.

To be the best that YOU can be, ensure you are keeping your own self care up to date with your Yoga & mediation practice.

Listen to them, meet them where they are and allow the relationship to grow from there.

Nothing they feel or experience is wrong and no emotion is irrelevant

Let them open up to you as and when they feel happy to, you need to be the strong support and comfort to them, readily available and ready with a non judgmental ear.

They don’t always want your advice or require ‘fixing’, they often just need to be heard.