Dr Sunita Gandhi
The sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the world into a tailspin. With the number of cases spiralling upwards, many countries have resorted to complete lockdown, leaving millions of families trapped inside their homes.
Naturally, this has had a major impact on the psyche of everyone involved and severely affected the psychological and emotional well-being of those caught in this situation.
These events have been especially hard on parents. Worries over health, the stress of maintaining financial security, and frustration at their helplessness in the face of this disease have all taken toll. But in this phase of doom and gloom, the way in which our children have risen to the occasion should give us hope.
The first instinct of any parent is to shield their child from anything that might harm them. We protect them, nurture them, and do everything within our power to avoid exposing them to distress or injury. To that end, we try and ensure that their daily routine remains uninterrupted. They go to school, come home, do their homework, and play with their friends. Life must go on as normal for them, no matter the situation or cost to ourselves. The coronavirus has made this impossible. We can no longer hide that something is wrong, and it is something that is causing stress and guilt to parents.
But before we become too harsh on ourselves for our perceived failures, it’s important to stop and take note of the reality of the situation.
Accepting the situation: Children across the world have displayed incredible levels of maturity and understanding in these unprecedented times. They’ve proven themselves to be more capable of restraint than we might have imagined. Rather than demanding things of us, they have accepted the situation with a calm and grace many adults could only dream of.
Adjusting to the new way of life: Much of this comes down to the flexibility with which children adapt to major life changes, rapidly absorbing a new situation and accepting it as the new norm. This maturity has manifested itself in many unexpected ways. Although undoubtedly missing their usual routines, children have taken it upon themselves to find new ways to stay occupied. Parents who might once have bemoaned the amount of time their children spent in front of screens now find them reading, painting, drawing, and any one of a dozen other activities and pursuits. And this initiative and determination to make the most of their time haven’t stopped there.
Learning life skills: From across the world, reports have poured in of children actively pitching in for household chores. Where once parents faced an uphill battle in making their children complete allotted tasks, now these same children are doing all of it more.
This has also extended to an interest in learning new household tasks, much to the joy of their parents. As a direct result, an entire generation of children is now learning a huge array of simple yet essential skills that will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives.
These include doing the laundry and folding their clothes, ironing, cleaning the house, and even cooking simple meals. Better yet, the learnings sometimes extend both ways.
Role reversal: With so many people working from home, a firm grasp on the latest technologies and software is a must. In these instances, many children have stepped up to help their parents understand the digital tools they must rely on.
Another way in which children have surprised us has been their response to education. With schools shut down, most institutes have resorted to holding online classes for their student body. Although many parents may have initially dreaded the prospect, their children have quickly put their fears to rest. Schools across the world are reporting remarkable attendance levels, and the response to projects and assignments has been remarkable.
Children are proving themselves to be hungry for knowledge and eager to learn. As parents, it is vital that we support this attitude and provide it with a structure – encourage their passions, introduce them to new learning resources, and take an active interest in their projects.
Following rules and reminding grown-ups to abide by them too: But perhaps the most important way in which children have responded to this situation is by following the rules. Since the outbreak, we have been inundated with an exhaustive list of dos and don’ts from every imaginable source. We have constantly been reminded to wear masks, cough or sneeze into our elbows, maintain social distancing, and sanitise. Despite this, it’s not hard to spot people openly flouting these rules and putting the rest of us at risk.
As all of this has been going on, the greatest proponents for these behaviours have been our children. They have taken the situation in their stride and are following the rules to the tee, even taking it upon themselves to scold and reprimand us if we slip up!
Much of this comes down to the fact that children do best when they’ve been given boundaries to follow. In this scenario, the rules are clearly defined and as a result, children are acting accordingly. It, therefore, falls upon us to praise them for this behaviour, and ensure that we set an unwavering example for them to emulate.
Unlimited family time: Ultimately, it is our responsibility as parents to protect our children. But in the process, we also need to remember to expose them to the realities of life. We need to accept that they are capable of understanding and contributing to any given situation, and enable them to do so through our support, encouragement, and love. With the spread of the coronavirus showing no signs of abating, this is a chance for families to bond and learn from one another. Along the way, we might just mould a brighter future.
Dr Sunita Gandhi is a PhD from Cambridge University, UK. She is Educationist of the Year 2014 and Visionary of Uttar Pradesh 2017. She is Founder, Council for Global Education, USA, Global Education & Training Institute, and DEVI Sansthan: Dignity, Education Vision International, India. She is also founder, Education Society of Iceland.