Search

Listen, and You Will Hear

Teachers often jokingly tell parents at Back to School nights, “I’ll only believe half of what your child tells me about you if you will do the same for what your child tells you about me!”

Children, for the most part, like to talk about what is going on in their lives and usually tell it like it is. I wanted to know what children are feeling and thinking right now, when their daily lives have been so altered by the pandemic. I decided to set up some interviews through technology to find out how the wheels are spinning in those amazing little heads.

I asked several children I know (boys and girls ages 3–16) four questions about their thoughts on what is happening now that they have been home with only their families for over a month. The results might give us some clues on how we can help them process this challenging and life-altering experience we are all going through. I will show the questions and then list the responses by age groups.

What has been the best part of staying home with only your family?


3- to 5-year-olds:


  • Eating yummy lunches together

  • Playing with my kinetic sand and chalk

  • It’s fun to have dad home

  • I like playing more with mom and dad

  • I like my new home classroom


6- to 8-year-olds:


  • Family game days

  • Eating chocolate malts

  • Buying stuff from “Mom’s Store” after I earn tickets

  • Playing with my indoor basketball game and playing football with my dad

  • Ordering a snow cone machine that I saved $20 to help pay for (if the virus isn’t still going we are going to have a stand outside and you can come and get one!)

  • Getting BBQ chicken at Sonic

  • Watching more TV

  • Sleeping in

  • My dad has been helping me with my homework more and I have got to know my family better


9- to 11-year-olds:


  • Sleeping in

  • I like that everyone isn’t running so many places

  • We are all still learning things

  • I like learning lots of things at home better than at school


12- to 16-year-olds:

  • I like that we get to spend more time together

  • We get to watch a lot of movies together

  • Being able to stay in my pajamas

  • Not always having somewhere I need to be

  • I feel more refreshed

What has been the hardest part of staying home with only your family?


3- to 5-year-olds:


  • Not being able to go to the Dollar Store and get butterfly wings

  • I miss my school

  • Playing with my friends

  • Having to go to the doctor when mommy has to get her shots

  • I miss my grandma and grandpa


6- to 8-year-olds:


  • Not seeing my friends

  • Missing my teacher

  • Not getting to go to the cookie store

  • I miss my three friends

  • Missing my great grandparents


9- to 11-year-olds:


  • Going outside to be with my friends

  • Not having a regular routine (I do better with a routine)

  • Still having the same amount of school work to do but not being able to play with my friends at recess


12- to 16-year-olds:


  • It feels like a school break but not as fun since I don’t get to be with my friends

  • It can get boring because we can’t really go anywhere

  • I miss playing sports and it makes me feel sad inside

What is something new you’ve learned while being quarantined at home?


3- to 5-year-olds:


  • How to use a knife

  • I learned how to play Uno

  • I made a police car out of a box

  • I get to do lots of arts and crafts

  • I’ve been learning sight words


6- to 8-year-olds:


  • About polar bears

  • How not to put metal in the microwave

  • How to wash and fold laundry

  • I’m learning to do three-digit subtraction


9- to 11-year-olds:


  • How to use technology better

  • I’ve learned to be more thankful for my family, food, technology and protection

  • I can’t think of anything

  • New ways to do math because my parents don’t understand how they teach us in school

  • How to have church at home

  • How to bake better cookies


12- to 16-year-olds:


  • I’ve learned that I actually like school

  • I wasn’t sure before but now I know I like learning in a classroom better than from a computer

  • Learned to make new bracelets

  • How to make a baseball field in my yard

What worries you most about the COVID-19 virus?


3- to 5-year-olds:


  • That you have to stay away from people

  • That you can’t hug people


6- to 8-year-olds:


  • I worry if I get too close to someone, that one of us is going to get it and die


9- to 11-year-olds:


  • I worry that one of my friends or someone in my family will get sick

  • That it will take a long time to go away

  • If I will ever get to go back to school