There has never been a doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on a lot of people. The worry about getting sick, the quarantine and the absence of friends and family have been hard on everyone. However, it may have hit children and families the hardest. Children were pulled out of school and asked to adapt to virtual learning. They were told they could not see their friends or grandparents and they couldn’t even go to the playground to burn off some steam.
We are now starting to see some actual numbers to represent just how many families were affected by the pandemic, and it is alarming. ParentsTogether is a national organization that is completely led by parents and it has over 2 million members.
They have also just released a survey from parents and children all across the US and it is highlighting the exact impact that COVID-19 has had on family units. The results were found after 6 months of the pandemic, and almost half of the parents have reported that their children are struggling with mental health and behavioral problems. Children may have a harder time expressing and regulating their emotions, and this can often manifest in poor behavior.
The report also found that an alarming 70% of children reported having negative feelings which included feeling overwhelmed, sad or worried. Like with most studies the numbers were often reflective of the family income. Lower income families resulted in children who were twice as likely to say that they felt sad, angry, scared or lonely.
Only 22% of parents surveyed felt that schools are “very prepared” to open, which is not much of a confidence. Another shocking number is that 30% of parents who do not have their children in school are worried that their children are not getting enough to eat throughout the day.
That is because students out of school are missing out on the food programs, and these parents may be struggling to make sure they can financially put more food into their grocery budget to compensate. It is a scary time for families right now, but the numbers tell us just how serious this is.
Source: Parents Together