Whose kids are struggling?
I feel like I see a lot of posts about kids who are just quite happy with being home and distance learning...this actually does for the most part describe my daughter.
My son, on the other hand, is having a super rough time. He is really depressed and it is just so hard for him. I've written before that he's the extrovert, but always before a very happy kid. The kind of kid who high fives everyone on the team, who cheers the loudest, who plays the hardest. Even before COVID, a playdate would be a highlight of the month.
And now...he is just different. He doesn't want to do anything, except play computer games/watch TV. Like a lot of people, we have liberalized screen time, so he gets a good several hours a day, even beyond the school work. But no matter how much he's played, asking him to step away is promptly met with a tantrum of slamming doors and tears. Asking him to do any school work or chores is worse.
He doesn't want do things he used to enjoy. He doesn't want to go outside (it's either too hot or too cold), doesn't want to play on the playset, doesn't want to ride his bike. We bought them an electric scooter that he tried once or twice and now he doesn't like that either. He doesn't want to play soccer with DH in the yard. Doesn't want to practice playing baseball (he used to do this for HOURS). I downloaded Pokemon Go to try to draw him out a bit more but now he doesn't like that either.
We've bought him so many books (used off ebay) that he will read the first few pages of then stop. He doesn't want to play board games or draw or paint or write. He doesn't want to do any type of online interaction with anyone. He told me he doesn't remember what his friends look like. He told me he didn't really care if he died.
I don't think he is particularly anxious about coronavirus. He is just depressed and feels like he has nothing to look forward to. All my efforts to give him something to look forward to seem to fall flat. I don't have a real honest answer for him when he asks when he can see his friends again. I don't even have an answer as to when he can see his cousins again.
We signed him up for camps in February, but I have no idea if they'll run or not.
At this point, I would personally shake hands with 1000 COVID+ people and take my chances if he could play baseball with his friends.
Anyone else out there with struggling kids?