How corona affects our children and adolescents

Ms. Seiz-Stein – schools and kindergartens are gradually opening their doors again. Many readers wrote us and asked what the closure of schools and restrictions in social contact mean for our children.

Katja Seitz-Stein: This is not an easy question to answer, as there are major differences between younger children and adolescents, for example. Emotional and social prerequisites also vary greatly within age groups. Therefore, it helps to think of different particular scenarios.

What scenarios could that be?

Seitz-Stein: Let’s, for example, take a five-year old child in kindergarten who has two younger siblings. Mom and dad are working from home. The child lives in a middle-class family and might even be happy about the changed situation. He or she can play with the younger siblings and can see more of what happens at home during the day. An 18-year old student who is about to complete his or her Abitur will experience the situation entirely differently. Despite the fact that they may have acquired good learning strategies in their years at school, they are still frustrated because it is not clear for a long time whether they will be able to take their final exams or not. Therefore, it is always important to look at a specific individual situation if we want to understand the consequences.

Still, we are all stuck in the same crisis.

Seitz-Stein: Yes, the current situation is new for all of us. The decisive question is how well we will manage to adapt. In developmental psychology, we differentiate whether critical life events affect individual persons or whole groups. The corona pandemic affects our society as a whole. This makes it a shared experience, so that there is not too much isolation for individuals.

Especially pre-school-age children miss playing and interacting with other children in kindergarten. How important is interaction with their peers?

Seitz-Stein: Social contact has a high significance for small children already at an early age, even if they initially play next to each other rather than actually playing with each other. They hear each other and make eye contact. Later on, they develop cooperative games and add role-playing. Seesaws in playgrounds show clearly how important other children are. Some games are only fun when you are two. While grown-ups are always stronger and know more, children in kindergarten all interact at eye level. Playing helps children to learn prosocial behavior and mutual respect and consideration. Social exchange with individuals outside the own family is all the more important if children do not have possibilities for interaction with the same age group within their families.

What consequences might a lack of social contacts entail?

Seitz-Stein: Currently, many parents are worried about this question. They fear that the present isolation will have irreversible consequences for their children. Here, I would like to object confidently: If children live in a stable environment, the separation from their peers that maybe lasts a couple of weeks or months will probably not have any major effects – although some children may feel great pain and sadness when separated from their friends or peers.

Do children develop special needs during this period?

Seitz-Stein: Yes, for their wellbeing, it is very important to structure the day in order to give children a sense of security and stability. It is beneficial to have fixed times for getting up and going to bed and regular meals to ensure that daily routines are not broken up too much. It is also important that parents are there to listen if their children want to talk – instead of just reacting annoyed or not having time. Therefore, we should try and reserve certain times in which we consciously focus on our children. Without a video conference running in the background. Of course, this is easier said than done. It helps if parents have a “suitcase” full of ideas how to keep children occupied that they can fall back on when needed.

Does this also apply to older children and adolescents?

Seitz-Stein: We know that screen time increases significantly with children’s age or puberty. There are also major changes to the sleep-wake-rhythm. They do not accept everything that you tell them to do and regulate themselves more strongly. This means that it becomes more difficult for parents to offer support. However, we should try to be more sensitive. This applies for all age groups – including kindergarten-age. Of course, this is particular challenging in the current situation, as parents are also facing increased stress themselves. However, we should not forget that this is the “normal” situation during a pandemic. There are families who are exposed to far greater burdens.

What do these burdens look like?

Seitz-Stein: Imagine you have a child who is usually being cared for in an institution and always needs someone at their side - for meals or for homework. Now, when the children are at home, parents have to care for them 24/7 by themselves. This only works well as long as the parents are healthy. At the same time, if they don't have anyone to help out, if they live in a small rented flat and are currently threatened by short-time work, the burden increases. This is where the effects of school closures become apparent.

 There are many families who have to cope with almost unimaginable situations.

Which conflicts can arise?

Seitz-Stein: If the stress level is very high and if alcohol problems or an own mental illness is added to the equation, it may be possible that situations arise that should not normally exist. If there are no opportunities and ways to communicate, physical violence can increase. Hence, there is justified reason to believe that the number of unreported cases of child abuse is currently increasing. We know from the 2008 financial crisis that family systems change during crisis situations. Financial hardship is often accompanied by – and it is hard having to say that – more beatings.

How do support programs work during the pandemic?

Seitz-Stein: As far as I know, an attempt is being made to maintain the psychosocial offer to the largest possible extent. The problem that new needs and special requirements are now arising for individuals or families is certainly difficult to solve. In many cases, there is also a lack of understanding that it is to a certain extent also up to the adult or adults to care for the well-being of their entire family.

Does this mean that we need to take more account of the current circumstances?

Seitz-Stein: We speak of a systemic perspective, here. Whether the children succeed in coping with the situation depends on the health and well-being of the whole family – on the relationships between parents and children, between the parents or on how the siblings treat each other. In addition, it depends on whether we are good at communicating and organizing ourselves, and which values guide us. If the family is healthy, this has an overall protective effect for the child. If financial worries or illnesses burden the family, it becomes more difficult to cope with the stress level. Factors such as racism or marginalization also play a role. The number of people who have died of Covid 19 in the United States, for example, is significantly higher among the African American population.

Can children who are in psychological care be looked after well in the current situation?

Seitz-Stein: Of course, the colleagues try to support the children in the best possible way within legal requirements. With older children, it has turned out that video conferences work surprisingly well. But with younger children or in families where technical requirements are not available, it is difficult. In some cases, contact was maintained by telephone. Sometimes, however, very precarious situations arise.

Can digital media replace our personal contacts at all?

Seitz-Stein: We do not need to be scientists to feel that personal contact and being close to other people cannot be replaced. It is certainly okay for children to see their grandparents in videoconferencing sessions. But it is not comparable to a real encounter. This involves the possibility of touching each other, for example when we hug. As humans, we are designed for physical contact. This is clearly missing in video conferences; although I am very aware that these are currently a sensible protective measure.

Some readers told us that they were tired of hearing news about the pandemic. They describe a feeling of fatigue and powerlessness, because they say that the individual cannot do anything about the situation anyway.

Seitz-Stein: I would like to take a different approach here. Of course, we had more freedom of action before the lockdown. However, it is always an uncomfortable feeling to be at the mercy of the others. We should therefore consciously focus on the awareness that we are the ones who plan our day and that we always have alternatives for action. I can ask myself: What are my options for today - and which ones do I choose? This can help us to regain self-control.

The interview was conducted by Thomas Metten. He is a KU employee and team member in the "Mensch in Bewegung” project.

About the interviewee
Prof. Dr. Katja Seitz-Stein holds the Chair of Developmental and Educational Psychology at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. Her research focuses, among other things, on the development of self-concepts in pre-school and school-age children and the promotion of mathematical skills.