While adults and older children are able to articulate the impact that the pandemic has had on them, young children struggle to explain their difficulties. The younger the child, the harder it is for them to make sense of all the ways in which society has changed over the past year.
Children have had restrictions on close contacts with family members and may have experienced bereavement. The usual pattern of education and childcare has been disrupted, with restricted opening of nurseries during the first lockdown. New parents may also be experiencing difficulties, without the usual support networks around them.
It is crucial therefore to think about the impact of pandemic restrictions on young children’s wellbeing, and particularly the impact on their development and behaviours. Practitioners need to be alert to ongoing issues – for instance, the impact on language or physical development.
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