My son has had an online model where he is on Zoom for about 6 hours a day. Initially, he loved being able to jump out of bed and go straight to school. But by the 2-week point, he was over it. He missed the social interaction of school -- the newness of that first day back at school, meeting up with friends, and getting to know his teachers. He has been dragging every morning,"tired of online school.
My daughter goes to a different school that is using a hybrid model, so some of the students are in the classroom and others are joining virtually. She enjoys being in the classroom, but it has had unexpected obstacles. She doesn’t want to ask questions because she has to speak much louder when she has the mask on, and she worries about disturbing the classmates that are joining virtually.
Stress, unfortunately, is on the rise. With social distancing and isolation, kids are not able to participate in sports and school events, both of which help them grow friendships and have social interaction. In addition, they are mostly on their own for school assignments, projects, and tests as we parents are stretched trying to cope with the collateral damage of-- working from home, not working at all because of job loss, or managing online school as well as everything else.
Many people have said that this generation of kids seems to be coddled, that they have parents who “helicopter” around them, making sure that they have everything they’ve ever wanted. This may be partially true, but what I’m seeing as a pediatrician, especially now with the pandemic, is that more and more kids are incredibly stressed. They are under the same high academic expectations , but without the social buffers that help balance out that pressure.
So give your kids a “mental health day” when they need it. Allow them to reset and recharge by being getting off of their screens, doing a fun activity with family, or by just simply spending some time outside nature. This school year is a mind-bender -- they’re going to need some mental breaks.