COVID-19 Has Reminded Us of School’s Contribution to Our Children’s Wellness

Back to school is different this year. We’re still in the midst of a pandemic; restrictions might not be as tight as they were before, but we’re still in it. The Sick Kid’s Hospital in Toronto, Ontario released a report that outlined the importance of children returning back to school for their mental and emotional health. School is a safe and nurturing space for many children which positively impacts their mental and emotional wellness (which has been on the decline since the onset of the pandemic). 

The Pandemic & Our Children’s Mental Health

It’s become recognized by a variety of professionals and parents that many of our children’s mental, emotional, and physical health has been impacted by being schooled (educated) at home. Throughout the breadth of this pandemic many children have really struggled with mood swings, bouts of anger, bouts of anxiety, depression, or isolation. 

Our children have gone through 3 school years in a pandemic (starting March 2020 until present day). Our kids have been through the wringer with no consistency! They're in school then they’re out of school. Things are locked down then they’re opened up. They can see their people, then they can’t see their people. Additionally, we’re now always wearing masks and there’s a constant threat of contracting this virus. The inconsistency and constant threat really disrupts their sense of safety. Also, many times during this pandemic our children haven’t had other children to play with. This is important because playing freely is how children understand and make sense of the world. When they don’t have that at their disposal, they are unsure of what to do and they’re not sure of how to make sense of it all. 

On top of that, they’re paying attention to our responses and how we’re responding to the world. They pick up on cues from us to guide them on how they should be feeling or reacting in a situation. They’re paying attention to how much news we’re consuming and how we’re responding to that news. Are we,as the parents and guides, worried or scared? They think, “should I be worried or scared too?” If you are someone whose anxiety runs high and you’re suddenly quite worried because of this pandemic - your child will likely take on this worry. Taking on your worry will create a struggle to feel safe, to feel secure, or to feel like they can function well in this world. 

As I mentioned, children understand their world through play and are picking up on your cures. A lot of children have now included our new habits in their play, like wiping down the play food because that’s what we do when we get home after getting groceries, or putting their hands under any box expecting some gel to come out because they think their hand sanitizers that they see in the stores, or pretend play doctors/being sick. 

Be mindful of the cues you’re putting out when your children are around. They’re absorbing it all and using them as a guide to how they should navigate their world. If you’re worried and anxious, they will be as well. 

School’s Role in Our Children’s Mental Health 

For many of us, we take the school system for granted not realizing that our children get a lot of their sense of normalcy of the world from going to school. School provides children with a routine (wake up, get dressed, walk to school, meet friends, have class, snack, recess, go home, homework, bath, bed) which makes them feel safe and protected in the world. 

School also provides food programs that a lot of children benefit from. Many children do not have 3 meals a day available to them in their homes. Schools have breakfast programs which provide children with healthy snacks and meals. The access to these healthy meals through school means that many children don’t go hungry. Healthy meals increase a child’s ability to focus, learn, and grow.

School is also a place where children can run around and play freely. Many children do not live in a sprawling home, do not have access to a backyard, or have a park close by. Having a space to run freely and play is beneficial to children as that’s how they understand and feel secure in the world.

School provides access to sports clubs and extracurricular activities that many parents are unable to afford if trying to access them through the community. In school children get to learn how to play new sports, they get to learn new things of interest, they get to engage in physical or creative activity, and they get to build relationships with peers who like the same things that they do. 

School (should) provide your children with someone who pours into them with positivity (not every child has a wonderful parent like you at home). Even if their parent is striving to be wonderful, sometimes there are external factors that can affect the love, care, and attention a child receives. This could look like having parents who are constantly yelling or arguing with each other, parents who love their children but need to work long hours to make ends meet, or being in an environment with lots of sounds of sirens or gunshots. When children are unable to go to school they do not have access to a safe space. They’re missing out when they’re at home opposed to at school where they have teachers who pour positive affirmations at them telling them that they’re great and that they do awesome things. 

For children who do not learn well online or who need people around them, school is important for them to be able to work in an environment that they can excel in and that can build their mental and emotional strength. 

Virtual School & Our Children’s Mental Health

I know many parents are opting to homeschool their children this year. I think that’s great if they have the time to support their child, the capacity to take on education (do you remember long division? How to conjugate French verbs?), and if their children are not suffering emotionally from being online.  

However, I do want to recommend to those parents who are homeschooling, to ensure that your children still have access to run, play, engage in arts and crafts, dive into hobbies, and connect with other children (in a safe way). Provide them opportunities to interact with others that are away from the screen and differ from you, as the parent. You’re wonderful! But, they need variety. 

Also be mindful that just because you’re working from home, does not mean that you have the time and capacity to also teach your child and provide them all that they need from the education experience. And that’s okay too.

To summarize, the education experience, especially being physically in school, provides children with a sense of normalcy which helps maintain positive emotional and mental wellness. Children need to play freely because that’s how they have an understanding of the world. They are watching you and absorbing all you put out in the world, so be mindful that you aren’t adding worry to your child. Provide your child with opportunities to engage with other children while also partaking in activities off screen. 

Please note: I recognize that there is a real worry or concern about sending children back to school and Covid-19. The goal of this blog post is to highlight the importance of the normalcy that school provides for their emotional and mental health. Normalcy can be provided to children outside of the school system when parents are aware of the components that make school a safe space for their children.