It has been easy to see that there has been a significant impact on the school system as well as child care options because of COVID-19, which in turn has had a great impact on parents. Many people had to leave their jobs because of COVID-19 in order to care for children. There have been many parents who have had to find other ways for their children to receive an education because of COVID-19 or COVID-19 related issues. It is undeniable that parents have been significantly affected by COVID-19.
Not only how COVID-19 has affected the parents’ availability to care for their children, it has affected the mental well-being of the parents and the children. The children’s parents were often their only source of socialization. Though with parents needing to do work, they are unable to give children the amount of socialization that they need. The inability to interact and get normal socialization in both the children and the parents lives, there is a negative effect on both the parents and children’s mental health.
Many people, including children, have experienced symptoms of anxiety and depression in the time of quarantine and into the present. There has been a lot of stress surrounding children who have not been to school in their lives, and will need to go into school at a much older age than normal. They are on average underdeveloped socially and have large amounts of anxiety surrounding the idea of being around many other people of their age.
This of course also causes stress for the children’s parents, and puts them into situations that they may be unsure of. They may be asking themselves questions surrounding how to make their child comfortable in large social situations or if their children will ever be able to interact normally in social situations. Though many parents may be concerned about their children’s social capabilities, they should also look at their own. Through the entirety of the pandemic, adults have also developed social anxiety and parents aren’t excluded. They most likely have begun to develop social anxiety without even knowing it. They have been so caught up in being caught up in the lives of their children that they may have not been able to reflect and see what they may need and are struggling with. Though in this time I think that everyone has fallen victim to being swept into the rush and have not been able to reflect on their lives.
Blane and Leanne Mortensen are parents of a high school student, Blane reflected on how keeping his kid safe during this time has been a concern, which parents of many different walks of life can most likely agree with. Leanne responded to the question by saying that it is important to be respectful of other people’s point of views when also trying to do what is best for both your child and the community.
Park High teacher Kelly Dick has an interesting point of view as both an educator and a parent of a fourth grader. He told me that being a model for his son in social situations has become a rare occasion due to their infrequency. Though he also felt that these times have been a good chance for both him and his son to have quality time together, even though they can tend to be at each others’ throats at times. He also mentioned how COVID has affected his relationships with both his students and their parents. He mentioned that quality communication with his students’ parents’ isn’t happening as it should. He mentioned that high school should be about the students becoming adults, but there should be more responsibility placed on the students rather than the parents and the admin. The students need to learn to take responsibility for their own actions , rather than parents learning about events that happened through a notification. He also told me about the struggle he has had as an educator when it comes to his students turning in their work. He mentioned how if the assignments for his students are not on Canvas , then they commonly will not do them, even if they mentioned the assignment in class. He also told me how he thought that Canvas was now the base of conversation, rather than simply talking to the students.