Our Children and Coronavirus
As I parent, I have watched my little one deal with the challenges coronavirus has set her. Not being able to see her friends, not learning her emotions through friendships, not being able to play in those team games, not learning from other adults and engaging in so many different experiences.
While we say our children are resilient, I write this blog with wonder. After the children being back at school for a few weeks now. I observe 4-year-old child not wanting to leave school, not able to explain but watching a Mummy really have to encourage her child to leave school. I watch and wonder, what a world we live in, our children have dealt with a lot as we have as adults, but now comes the understanding of what it has all meant on their emotional development.
I have watched Elizabeth, become so focused on her working and getting everything right at the age of seven, to playing with her dolls more and more making sure their clothes were clean and they were taken for walks. How have our children interpreted this pandemic situation? While we may think we may we are coming through it. What are children now facing for their own development. How are they understanding the world around us?
I have always believed that children need to be in a happy, calm and confident environment in order for their learning to click and make meaning. Not learnt in the fear of you have an exam next week, if you can’t get on the online lesson, you miss out. Coronavirus will have a lot to answer for in coming years.
As parents it’s a critical time to remember we need to support our children’ emotional development and friendships. Role Play is a great way to do this. Our rag dolls are ideal for this as children can use different toys to possess a variety of personalities. In their own world through play, they are in control, it is through play that you really get to see children’s emotions and how they see real life through their eyes.
The play Elizabeth has demonstrated at home has shown her safe space where she has shown her frustrations, anger and happiness to feel secure in the family home. Now I need to use the safe secure environment of home and the play strategies she used to give her the confidence again to rebuild for the un-known word we are about to enter again. As I find I can tell you what we have gone through but not how we have managed to use it for the better.
I consider myself very lucky, I have a little girl who talks to me and shares her thoughts and concerns, while she also wants answers too ‘What was that all about Mummy? To which I can only say it was and continues to be a challenging time and it’s only the mentally strong who will survive.
