How Are Our Kids Coping With Home Isolation?

Achieving success in so much we do, or expectations of our children to be achieving is usually pretty high on our list of expectations.

Striving for that end of year trophy, bettering their own personal best, being “out there” amongst it all. Achieving. Being part of a team or achieving as a solo act.

Now, everything is different. Now, these activities have been put on ‘pause’. Children have been side-lined. Some will be OK with this. And then there will be some that are finding it very difficult to stop. The physical activity is running, jumping, shooting hoops, kicking goals, WINNING. The essence of all this, is that the validation it gives. That you matter when you win.

How Can They ‘Just Be?’

There is a lot of emphasis on this – so how will it be to ‘just be’?

Not many of us have ever experienced such a world-wide instruction. To stay at home. To isolate. Home Isolation. To not be part of a group that shares in celebration, sport or event.

Perhaps this is a learning opportunity. Kids can learn from this experience to stop and appreciate the air we breathe. Live in the present moment of mindfulness. It’s not necessarily what we do with our time but what we do with our ‘thoughts’ that matters just as much.

Now What?

The overthinking. The self-doubt. “Now what do I do?” Take the time to be more patient. We are all a wave in the ocean and we are all experiencing change and disruption in some way.

It can be easy to go down the path of negativity. Very, very limited people contact and our problems before seem more trivial. Or not? Either way, it is how we respond now. The energy of everyone could work in a mass cup-is-half-full or cup-is-half-empty. Or we get rid of that cup and take it one day at a time. And ensure our children are in good mental spirits about this isolation time.

Certificates and prizes are important but for now, it is about emotional well-being and validation of being safe and healthy.

How are your kids coping with home isolation and the cancellation of all their activities? Tell us in the comments below.

25 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 30 Aug 2023
    10:18 am
I think for many kids it would ahve been awesome not to have to dash around to all the differrent after school things and to just relax

- - mom152736 said
  - 27 Apr 2020
    10:30 am
i’m trying to tell him the benefits of this time… to bond together.

- - kathryn said
  - 19 Apr 2020
    9:35 am
Its exhausting but rewarding at the same time. Not going to the park threw a spanner in the works so we’ve had to get more creative to burn off energy!

- - ashna9 said
  - 07 Apr 2020
    7:55 pm
Mine miss their socialising but otherwise are coping quite well.

- - Blossom said
  - 06 Apr 2020
    8:00 pm
Some are settling in to e-schooling better than others. It may be an issue when the kids realise they should be going back to school. Some are missing their after school and weekend sports and other activities. Luckily so far our youngest hasn’t commented about what she is missing out.
The usual phrase may start soon though “I’m bored”.

- - nadine_hill said
  - 05 Apr 2020
    2:18 pm
Having a large garden and a pool has helped enormously!

- - mom462038 said
  - 04 Apr 2020
    9:21 am
It’s really tough especially if you had quite a full social life. We just need to remember it won’t be like this forever, not much of a help when our nerves are shattering, but it’s true

- - mom19782016 said
  - 03 Apr 2020
    11:59 am
I think you just need to take it one day at a time with no pressure

- - tessie said
  - 02 Apr 2020
    1:56 pm
My son is spending time working in the yard. Our lives haven’t really changed because neither of us work anyway. Just can’t go out for our weekly coffee

- - rovermum said
  - 02 Apr 2020
    9:32 am
My son is an Energizer bunny so we’re just channelling that into activities inside. And I’m creating a schedule – a to do list of things to do each day. He gets to tick them off, so has a sense of completion. And I keep reminding him we’re all in this together.

- - Ellen said
  - 02 Apr 2020
    9:16 am
It’s certainly limiting all of us, but we can be creative. I’m glad we have a garden and we can pretend to go to the park in our garden
- mom90758 replied
  
  02 Apr 2020 , 1:23 pm
  Having your own garden makes indeed a big difference. Imagine being stuck all day in a small apartment, maybe without even a balcony.
- - sars_angelchik said
  - 02 Apr 2020
    8:53 am
Mine are finding it hard to understand we can’t go anywhere even the park

- - shanika said
  - 02 Apr 2020
    7:15 am
This is hard time for everyone. Let them to be creative.

- - mom321515 said
  - 01 Apr 2020
    11:18 pm
My son’s only 3 and daughter 9 months. They don’t really understand but my son wonders why he can’t go to Nan’s or stop at the park. He is loving how much time we are spending outside and that Dad’s home.

- - rnash02 said
  - 01 Apr 2020
    9:21 pm
Surprisingly we are spending more time as a family which is great, kids a copying as well as can be expected

- - Petal53 said
  - 01 Apr 2020
    9:17 pm
Time to sit back and relax. Most kids can still communicate with their friends via phones. I really feel sorry for those children stuck in apartments who might find it rather challenging if they can’t step outside their back door for a few minutes of breathing space.

- - mom460689 said
  - 01 Apr 2020
    8:57 pm
It feels like a whole new world. Its alot for kids to take in. They are ok being at home now but I wonder how they’ll feel in a few months.

- - littlehandsofmine said
  - 01 Apr 2020
    8:56 pm
We just need to adjust

- - mom90758 said
  - 01 Apr 2020
    4:53 pm
So far so good. But my daughter is 17. I think younger kids suffer a lot more.

- - mushroom_2005 said
  - 01 Apr 2020
    3:38 pm
My 4yo is having a hard time understanding that she can’t play with her friend next door.