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Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – A study released by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that virtual education may pose more risks to children’s mental health and well-being and parents that personal education, and more support may be needed to cope with the effects of the Corona pandemic.
Parents whose children received virtual education or a combination of virtual and in-person education were more likely to report increased risks related to 11 of 17 indicators of child and parent well-being, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control of the United States. and Prevention.
Researchers looked at survey responses from 1,290 parents of children aged 5 to 12 between October and November 2020.
About 25% of parents whose children received a virtual education or a combination of virtual and in-person education reported deterioration in their children’s mental or emotional health, compared to 16% of parents whose children received an education. personalized.
They were also more likely to say their children were less physically active and spent less time outdoors and with friends.
From New York, Stephanie Cockinos, mother of two daughters, one of whom is 7 and the second is 5, said: “The difference between the two methods is the difference between day and night, especially for my child. girl . “
Cockinos explained that she was used to the distance learning method, although it was not a natural method at all.
Cockinos, who is not currently working while her husband works from home, said she couldn’t even wonder if she was working during this time, explaining that distance education had become a full-time job for her, just to make sure that both of her girls’ needs are met academically and, most importantly, from a psychological and emotional perspective.
Since the start of the pandemic, Kokkinos has explained that her two daughters have had to deal with school closures and then return to classroom teaching on March 19.
Cockinos believes that going back and forth with children of the same age as her two children is very harmful.
Cockinos pointed out that the situation is different for every child, as some children drop out of school, some have lost their shine somewhat and some of them no longer have the desire to learn, from what j mentioned.
“They are exhausted and suffer from headaches and eye pain, on top of that they don’t get social interaction and their needs are not met during this time,” Cocinos added.
Parents also feel the influence
About 54% of parents whose children received a virtual education reported feeling emotional distress, compared to 38% of parents whose children received personal education.
Parents of children receiving virtual education were more likely to report job loss, concerns about job stability, childcare issues, conflict between work and childcare children and difficulty sleeping.
Fathers and mothers of children who received a combination of virtual and in-person education were more likely than those whose children had received personal education to report job loss and difficulty between work and childcare. children, and about 43% of them reported feeling emotionally distressed. .
Responding to this year’s mental health issues
About 66% of Hispanic parents and 55% of dark-skinned people said their children had received a virtual education, compared to 32% of white parents.
Stephanie Burrow-Carpenter teaches third-grade students at Fraser Elementary School in Louisville, Ky., Who has just returned to personal lessons.
“I think it definitely differs depending on the student and the situation,” Boro-Carpenter said. “We have children who have suffered a lot more trauma than others.”
Specifically, Borough-Carpenter had to pay close attention to the racial trauma some of his students suffered because they live in Louisville, where Briona Taylor was shot by police in March 2020.
Due to this trauma, along with the uncertainty caused by the epidemic and the slippage between distance learning and personal learning, Borough-Carpenter placed a special emphasis on the mental health of his students.
Boro-Carpenter has set up a session for his students with a mental health counselor, during which students conduct weekly sessions with him, providing them with an online form to request help without having to disclose it. .
The researchers wrote that children who do not receive personal education and their parents “may be at increased risk of negative consequences on mental, emotional or physical health” and may need more support to mitigate the effects of the disorder. pandemic.
“Actions at the community level to reduce the incidence of COVID-19 and support mitigation strategies in schools are very important to support the return of students to personal learning,” note the researchers.
Not everyone is looking for another change
Experts say going back to school will not benefit every child’s mental health, as some children who have been bullied or bullied in school or who feel more free to speak up at home and outside the social hierarchy in their schools, will not necessarily want it. come back.
Lenore Skincey, president of the nonprofit “Let Grow” that works to promote children’s independence and resilience, spoke to CNN at the start of the epidemic to explain why some children have related benefits. to mood during distance learning.
Some of the benefits that children saw early in the pandemic may linger, such as increased independence and the development of better skills such as the ability to plan, problem solve, and follow through.
“It’s not because we used to have the kids go to school five days a week and the rest of the time spent in activities organized and led by adults. way for kids to spend their childhood, ”Skynzy said.
And for parents who are struggling to get through this difficult time, Skinky recommends focusing on the extra time their children can spend remotely outside of the classroom.
“I would like parents to be happy with this weird ‘downtime’ and realize the growth their kids are going through, even when things seem a bit disjointed and crazy and the distance learning part isn’t. not going very well, ”added Skinzy.
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