Despite a recent increase in cases of COVID again this year, as a society, we seem to still be using the language of post-pandemic. Conversations manage to contain some reference to a sense of before and after pandemic experience, with the reality being that nothing has fully gone back to the way it was ‘before’. Less spoken about are some of the issues that remain as a result, and one of those is young people and families navigating a post-pandemic education system. Ask any parent, and they can easily tell you what they have seen- and are continuing to manage- with the children in their lives.
It is always our hope that our children will face few challenges in their young lives. Through the pandemic we all tried our best to make sure our kids could do their schoolwork and learn from home, while also trying to have fun family time and get outside as much as we could. In reality, there was often a lot of stress and isolation, bickering, and lack of alone time. It took a while for families to get back to ‘normal’ and many are still figuring out what normal means now. Many families took great comfort in schools re-opening, with the schedule and move towards normalcy that came with it. Still, many children were anxious about returning to in-person classes (and for some, it was a completely new experience). What was needed at that time was an understanding that each child and family has unique needs, and we were all learning as we went. Everyone was working hard to manage new ways of doing and being in this ever-changing environment.
As we look at what has changed in our schools, the most positive thing to have emerged is a greater understanding of and empathy for students. Teachers began focusing on evaluating what a student knows and has learned as part of the curriculum. What we all learned from the pandemic is that everyone has a life outside of school and work that plays a vital role in well-being. Now if a student is struggling with completing an assignment, their teachers are more likely to talk to them about what supports they need. Responding to the pandemic brought back a focus on learning and a shift away from rigid ways of evaluating performance.
Unfortunately, more serious issues were arising with our young people – mental health struggles. Since the pandemic, anxiety has become incredibly common in young people, as well as feelings of isolation and depression. As society becomes more open about mental health, so have schools. Our children lived this world-wide crisis with us, and the fear and isolation they experienced has had a lasting impact. Many parents report watching their carefree children become riddled with adult-like stresses much too early for their young years. We want our kids to enjoy life and focus on fun and learning, but suddenly their minds also seem full of questions and fears that never used to be there. We hear things from young people now like, ‘Life is so short,’ ‘You never know what bad thing will happen next,’ and ‘I feel like my childhood is slipping away.’ It’s heartbreaking to see the lasting impacts on our children from the stress that we all felt. School sick days are no longer just for colds and flu, they now include mental health breaks and anxiety re-sets. Socializing seems to be more of a struggle too, with research showing an increase in shyness and introverted tendencies in children. Unknown feelings, underlying grief, and anger, can make the school days feel long and hard for kids without supports at home or at school. Education has had to change, to become not just about learning but also about the environment and the energy of the spaces kids are learning in. Mental health add-ons to education have become increasingly important, with many looking to add full-time mental health practitioners in schools. Students are struggling with big feelings. Post-covid education is no longer just about curriculum and learning, it’s also about recognizing and responding to mental health as well.
Given this new reality, what are some of the things we can be doing as caregivers for children in this post-covid era in the realm of supporting their education?
- Individualizing how education is delivered
Continue to support and encourage individualized learning strategies, schedules, and modalities while also trying new things. For example, get a paper planner with stickers to get your kids offline but still working on schoolwork and goals, encourage breaks from schoolwork to recharge kids’ minds and bodies, offer healthy snacks while working to support holistic learning.
- Talking openly about mental health
Make mental health an open topic of discussion in your daily lives. Here’s a Wood’s Homes blog post that talks about this: https://www.woodshomes.ca/the-elephant-in-the-room-why-talking-about-mental-health-in-families-is-so-hard/ (https://www.woodshomes.ca/a-season-of-change-in-mental-health/ . For example, we suggest a trip to the cinema to see the new Inside Out 2 movie to start some conversations about mental health as a family, have a Feelings Wheel on the fridge to help family members pinpoint and express their feelings when needed throughout the day, talk with your kids each day about what they’re grateful for.
- Encourage children to exercise their “socializing” muscles
Support a resocialization program for our kids, finding a way to support them in having friends in real life and real time without pushing them out of their comfort zones. For example, schedule a play date or organize a sleep over or backyard party activity, encourage them to join a team or regular activity, get outside on a regular basis, or plan a homework activity together to help them do things a little bit differently (see article in The Conversation about finding a balance in activities: https://theconversation.com/active-or-overscheduled-kids-how-parents-can-consider-benefits-and-risks-of-extracurricular-activities-218988 )
- Get your kids to unplug
