Fredrick Douglass, an American social reformer, writer and statesman one said- ‘It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men’. This is an intuitive quote on the role that children could play in laying the foundation of a strong nation. This year has been especially hard on children. The natural inclinations of children to move out and expend their physical energies have been short-circuited by the pandemic. The toughest challenge is for children to be ‘normal’ during these trying times. They have been cooped up in their homes and have missed their friends and relations. We might not realise it but studies have shown that children suffer most from social distancing because they thrive best when socially connected. Many studies have also reported a tendency for obesity in children as they spend more screen time inside their homes with little or no exercise. Think especially of children living in gated communities with very little space to maintain distancing. Kids in the rural areas have the advantage of fresh air and huge spaces to lose themselves in but many of their counterparts in the cities do not live in a neighbourhood with access to sidewalks or walking paths. Hence physical activity is hugely inhibited.
Home schooling has become a fad and serves its purpose but it can never replace the vibrancy and aliveness of a school environment where social skills are learnt through trial and error. Over three-quarters of older children between the ages of 6 and 17 take part in sports after school or on weekends, or are members of clubs or organizations which engage then after school or on weekends. Some take part in other organized activities or lessons, such as music, dance or the arts. Many of these activities have been cancelled or curtailed due to social distancing policies. Most parents who are not in the habit of thinking creatively on how best to engage their children have been at their wits end. This also shows that for most parents putting the kids in school is akin to escaping the parental duty of looking after them for about five-six hours a day when they can have their “Me” time. This routine is so entrenched that the present disruption has left them confounded.
Parents agonise that their children will fall behind socially and emotionally if schools do not reopen. And now there’s the huge dilemma of whether or not to attend school when they do reopen in 2021, if and when they will. We have never been as uncertain about the future as we are today and it is telling on our children. Alas! Not enough resources have been developed to help adults cope with this extraordinary circumstance so that they can help their children cope better. Children’s Day this time should be more about reflection than celebration.