The Post-Pandemic Child

Most people would agree that the pandemic was a very stressful time, impacting us in so many ways. It made us more vulnerable than any of us have ever experienced in our lifetimes. However at the same time, it also made us resilient in how we adapted to the changes imposed on us.

We were faced with the fear of Covid threatening our physical health and being isolated from our family and friends, impacting our mental health. But we were resilient by adapting and learning new skills, doing things differently, and giving up on social engagements.

Online working and learning became the norm. Zoom meetings and conferences became the lifeline for businesses to survive. And without a doubt, social media helped us stay connected with family and friends, our colleagues, and our children were connected to online classes.

Our Children and their Devices

Working from home and attending a Zoom call with co-workers.

Siblings on their devices sitting on family couch

Prior to the pandemic, children were spending a lot of time online, leading to decreased sleep and physical activity, and increased anxiety and depression. Statistics published by the government of Canada has shown that teens who spend too much time on social media increase the odds of developing eating disorders and even suicide.

When the pandemic began, these issues became more prominent as children and teens depended on social media as their primary method of socializing, rather than face to face interactions.

The good news is there are several interventions that parents can adopt to encourage face-to-face social interaction to decrease screen time.

What Parents Can Do

As parents, decreasing our own personal screen time sets the best example when spending time with family. If we demand that our kids put down their devices, then we should also be willing to do the same.

Here are some tips:

screen free zones in the home, i.e., playroom, kitchen during dinner time, living room during family movie time, etc.
Provide a safe environment where they can visit extended family, (cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents). Or a place where they can participate in sharing their toys, and actively learn to listen, ask questions and repeat back what was shared in the conversation.
Encouraging them to join clubs, participate in sports, or plan a play date.
Reengaging them to participate in activities they previous enjoyed with others.

Mother helping her children to learn how to bake in the kitchen

Developmental Effects of Covid

Another effect post-Covid was the lack of social activity of not attending school or partaking in outside activities, which negatively impacted the developmental spectrum of young children, delaying their academic progress.

There is no way to fast track the brain growth of learning new material, nor can a teacher or parent hasten the learning skills of a child’s brain.

Hence, the pandemic negatively impacted both the academic and social growth of our children, and when they returned to school their learning rate was where it left off.

Beyond the added supports that schools provided with tutoring and summer programs, parents play a larger role in the way they interact with their children. By intentionally creating a supportive and encouraging relationship, parents can help to make up for the emotional and social losses their children endured from the pandemic.

How Parents Can Connect With Their Child

Here are some strategies that parents may find helpful:

Parents teaching their child how to ride a bike

Sharing fun memorable invoking experiences with your child is far more reaching than learning something on a screen. Children value being loved and protected, and spending quality time with them at the park, playing in the backyard or visiting family and friends encourages more neuron growth than any screen could ever provide.

Research has shown over and over again that parents who shifted from top-down teaching to eye-level engagement made significant differences in their relationship with their child. This means bringing ourselves to our children’s level and learning to appreciate our children’s interests and curiosities, even though they may seem trivial to us. This provides a better emotional experience for parent and child than imposing our adults’ perspectives onto them.

When pre-schoolers act out, it can be challenging to remain calm. Evidence shows that practicing calmness with an empathetic voice, soothing strokes, and actively acknowledging, at eye-level, their feelings when things don’t go their way, can calm the child both physically and mentally.

The impact that the pandemic had on our children can still have lingering effects, that could possibly last for years to come. However, with some patience, and exercising the tips above, we can all encourage the health of our children socially, mentally and physically.

Need some help?

Our child and family therapists are trained in various therapies that are geared towards children, plus many years of experience helping children in the Lower Mainland. Read about Play Therapy and Equine-Assisted Therapy.

Book a free 15-min consultation with one of our therapists to find out how they can help your child and your family.