What Can We Learn From Our Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Special thanks to Wes Gilbert for writing today's blog post. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all groups of humanity. No matter where you live, what you do, or what your situation is, everyone has been impacted by the pandemic. For many people, COVID-19 has meant some pretty significant lifestyle changes. 

So far, we have done a good job of thinking and talking about how the pandemic has impacted healthcare workers, public safety workers, and working professionals. There is one group, however, that I haven’t seen much attention devoted to: our kids. 

Maybe we haven’t forgotten about them, exactly, but I think we can tend to forget that this is a big deal for them, too. They are experiencing many of the same major life changes that we are. And for younger folks, this is one of the most formative periods of their lives. The frontal lobe of the brain fully develops in the early 20s. The frontal lobe controls emotions, planning, problem solving, etc., which means that this period will have a large impact on kids and young adults. This demographic already has a lot to deal with, as they are still learning to make sound decisions and express their emotions. Enduring a pandemic adds quite a bit of extra stress to an already stressful stage of life. 

With that in mind, I decided to interview kids across several age groups, including elementary, middle, and high school. I asked each child the same five questions about how the pandemic has affected them, and what they would like to see change in the near future. I found their answers to be thoughtful, occasionally humorous, and thought-provoking.

Andrew - Age 6, Montana

What is COVID-19? A sickness.

What has been the hardest part of living during this sickness? The beginning, when I had to always stay home and not play with friends.

What emotions do you feel about COVID-19? Mad. I don’t like it.

Has anything changed in your life because of COVID-19? Yes, I can’t go to school or church. I miss my friends.

What is the one thing that you hope returns to normal? Going back to school.

Zachary - Age 6, Montana

What is COVID-19? A virus.

What has been the hardest part of living during this sickness? Not playing with my friends.

What emotions do you feel about COVID-19? I’m not happy.

Has anything changed in your life because of COVID-19? We stopped going to school and my mom had to be my teacher, and she isn’t a teacher. 

What is the one thing that you hope returns to normal? Going back to school. I miss my friends.

Lucy - Age 12, Montana

What is COVID-19? A disease spread around the whole world that originated in Asia.

What has been the hardest part of living during this sickness? Not being able to go to school, church, and gymnastics.

What emotions do you feel about COVID-19? Blah. (with an eye roll)

Has anything changed in your life because of COVID-19? I mean yeah, I didn’t get to finish school at school, and I got behind in gymnastics when the gym was closed.

What is the one thing that you hope returns to normal? No more social distancing and masks. I want school, church, and other activities to go back to normal.

Amber - Age 14, Texas

What is COVID-19? A virus that is easily spread. It is a new illness that we do not have a vaccine for and do not know how to fully treat yet.

What has been the hardest part of living during this sickness? Getting bored, staying at home, and not seeing my friends.

What emotions do you feel about COVID-19? It is kind of stressful and scary. It’s scary because they don’t know how to treat it, and it is spreading a lot lately. It is also stressful because there are a lot of new precautions to try to prevent the spread, but not everyone is following the precautions.

Has anything changed in your life because of COVID-19? Everything. We can’t go anywhere. I can’t be around my friends. If we do go out, we have to social distance and wear a mask. We can’t just go to a store because we want or need something. We have had more family time and the ability to be outdoors and just play, which has been really nice.

What is the one thing that you hope returns to normal? School and volleyball.

Brianna - Age 15, Texas

What is COVID-19? COVID-19 is a flu-like virus that affects the respiratory system.

What has been the hardest part of living during this sickness? The hardest part about being quarantined is the fact that we can’t see people, and it makes it more difficult to do daily functions. 

What emotions do you feel about COVID-19? COVID-19 has me feeling a little annoyed because we can’t really do much.

Has anything changed in your life because of COVID-19? Nothing has really changed majorly since COVID-19.

What is the one thing that you hope returns to normal? I hope that almost everything can return to normal.

Thomas - Age 16, Texas

What is COVID-19? A virus that kills people!

What has been the hardest part of living during this sickness? Not being able to see friends. 

What emotions do you feel about COVID-19? It is stupid.

Has anything changed in your life because of COVID-19? I got muscular!

What is the one thing that you hope returns to normal? I want people to stop freaking out about it! I also want to be able to find toilet paper. 

Sarah - Age 17, Texas

What is COVID-19? It’s a virus that is kind of like the flu.

What has been the hardest part of living during this sickness? I can’t be with all of my friends and family! Also ending the school year abruptly!

What emotions do you feel about COVID-19? Sad, angry, confused.

Has anything changed in your life because of COVID-19? I can’t go do things with my friends whenever and wherever we want.

What is the one thing that you hope returns to normal? School and football season. As a 2021 senior, I would be devastated if we couldn’t have a football season, especially because I’m the squad leader of the twirlers and that's a big deal to me!

Alexis - Age 17, Montana

What is COVID-19? COVID-19 is a disease that affects the respiratory system in people and is more deadly to elderly and others that already have respiratory issues. 

What has been the hardest part of living during this sickness? Not having a lot to do, and having to wear a mask constantly. 

What emotions do you feel about COVID-19?    

Has anything changed in your life because of COVID-19? Yes—many of my extracurricular activities have changed, along with school. 

What is the one thing that you hope returns to normal? School.

As I got each kid’s reactions, it was interesting to note how many of the answers were similar across the spectrum of all age groups. Personally, I think this solidifies the fact that humans need human interaction, at the deepest level. Loving personal relationships drive and inspire us each day, motivating us to keep moving forward. We aren’t designed for long periods of isolation. So in the midst of a pandemic that has forced us to adapt to more time alone, it’s taken a toll on everyone—especially our younger set. It’s important to make sure we are loving and supporting each other, especially our young children and adolescents. As you go about your day, take some time to check in with the kids and young adults in your life. Ask them how they’re doing. It will mean a lot to them, and you might just be fascinated by their take on what's going on in the world. 

For more reflections on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected us and what we can learn from living through it, check out this post: Learning from a Pandemic: A Paramedic's Perspective.