Dealing with Disruption Uncertainty

Prioritising your child’s mental health during post-pandemic schooling and beyond.

For some children, this uncertainty will be something that they can cope with. They might thrive in improvisational situations naturally. A varied environment suits some learning styles after all. However, it’s likely that lockdowns and school closures were not beneficial for a large majority of our students.

For most, remote learning and weeks spent in isolation had a negative impact on motivation, performance and mental health. This problem will, unfortunately, outlive the pandemic itself too - a Young Minds study taken in January 2021 found that 67% of 13-25 year olds believed the pandemic will have long-term negative effects on their mental health.

It can be difficult for children and young people to manage their feelings around this, especially when the message to society from our government is essentially, “get on with it!”

However, there are some key, telltale signs that you, as a parent, can look out for that will give you a good indication if they're struggling with the thought of returning to school or their mental health. These signs include:

• Not wanting to go to school
• Making up illnesses
• Reluctance to prepare for lessons or get their uniform ready
• Leaving school work until the last minute
• General ambivalence to everything school related

Whether your child appears to be coping with the changes or not, it’s always a good idea to talk to them about them as well as their feelings toward the upcoming year.

Helping children cope

Whether your child appears to be coping with the changes or not, it’s always a good idea to talk to them about them as well as their feelings toward the upcoming year. Even one short conversation could help them feel much more comfortable with school. Showing them that they at least have a constant when they come home, even if it isn’t present at school, can make a world of difference.

Try these 3 techniques when broaching the topic of school and mental health:

1. Reassurance

   Talk to your child about the last two years and look at the specifics. Talk about what they found hard and what they succeeded at. What are they better at now than they were last year?

   You might not be able to give them certainty that they won’t have to miss out on school again this year, but you can now give them certainty that their school and home life is ready to overcome any future challenges! You’ve done it before and everyone is now much better prepared to reduce disruption.

2. Ask questions

   Ask them to talk about how they feel about going back to school. Try to get them to be as specific as possible. Are they scared, anxious or worried? Their choice of words could be important. What are the specific elements of the school day that make them feel this way?

   Is there a lesson, or part of their journey to school, that is specifically worrying to them? Asking questions makes it easier for children to express themselves and explore their emotions. They might not have thought to ask themselves what you are asking and this could open up a new way of thinking and tackling their anxieties.

3. See the positives

   Finally, try to see the brighter side. Whether it’s sharing positive news about vaccines or being able to go to the cinema again, show your child that we will be able to live our lives properly again and that school will go back to normal eventually.

   Refer to how they dealt with the pandemic and explain how this is going to make them even more resilient and adaptable as a person in the future, and how this will help them in life!

Asking questions makes it easier for children to express themselves and explore their emotions.

These conversations will likely happen naturally, whilst doing the back to school shop, in the car on the way to football practice or on a journey to see friends and family. Much like hiding vegetables in tastier looking food, children often don’t want to talk about these feelings so you may have to disguise them as other conversations about TV or what’s for dinner.

These conversations are important for you to get to the bottom of any current issues, but they also help to prevent further mental health issues further down the line. These conversations may well help you identify issues your child is struggling with and if that does happen, be sure to speak to a medical professional or ask your school for support.

Hopefully this school year will bring about a more consistent learning environment and you can use these techniques to tackle the effects of the last two years. Here’s to the future and healthier, happier students!

Nicola Jones Ford
School SENDCo and Satchel Education Inclusion Coach