Our daughter: “2020 is a 3 out of 10”

I had a dog walk with our eldest #daughter today (10y). I asked her to rate this year. She said 3/10 🥺👇🏼

When asked why:

🔸 “I’ve missed out on so much time with my friends.

🔸 “I’ve missed out on residentials, plays, assemblies, certain sports, science experiments, lunch clubs & playing instruments.

🔸 “I’ve lost touch with friends from other classes because I can’t see them during school.

🔸”The playtime rules mean we can’t access loads of cool parts of our playground, and have to stay in our area.

🔸 “I’ve missed out on so much time in school – a school I love. The spring/summer school closures and when classes in our year was asked to self isolate.

🔸 “I love our home, but I notice myself being really lazy and flat after days indoors. We don’t go anywhere anymore, I hardly see friends, and the days feel the same.

🔸 “I know I use my iPad too much, but what else can you do?

🔸 “I’ve missed out on so much swimming and swimming competitions. I was hoping to be a top performer at counties in Jan, but haven’t had a race since March.

🔸 “It frustrates and angers me that the school needs to do all these things that don’t make sense  – constant handwashing, teachers covering their faces with masks/shields, and some friends acting super scared.

🔸 “I don’t understand why parents get their kids tested when they are not ill, because it just means more time off school and away from our friends and classrooms for all of us. It’s stupid or mean – or both.

A 3/10 for you, personally?

I then asked her, is it a 3/10 because you know it’s a rubbish year for the country, or is it because you feel it’s a 3/10 for you. She said:

💬 “For me. I’ve missed out on so much, and none of it makes sense. I just want normal school, more time with friends, less time at home, to compete at swimming, and for us to be more normal as a family – going out on weekends, shopping, meals out, birthdays and indoor play dates”

💬 “I don’t like seeing you and mummy thinking and talking so much about COVID, or seeing you get upset because of silly things at school or new pointless things we now have to do because everyone is so scared of COVID”

Upset & Proud

Needless to say I was both upset and proud.

😢 UPSET that this wasn’t an 8-9 out of 10 year, because she’s such a positive kid and is always happy. Always grateful. Seldom down. Plus, new school, lots of plans, lots of swimming – it was going to be an easy 8.

😢 UPSET because it didn’t need to be this way. Upset that I wasn’t able to insulate her better from the authoritarian meddling of people who have no idea what they are doing and should have no involvement in my child’s happiness and development.

☺️ But also PROUD. Proud that she sees through this year. Proud that she has the thinking skills to reflect on this year and know what is not good about it. Proud that she knows what’s good for her, and wants those wholesome things back.

How about your kids?

❓Do you have similar insights like these from your child / children?

❓What do we do to reclaim our kids lives back starting Jan 1st?

#EnoughIsEnough

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

The Original Facebook Post