Effects of Covid-19: Consequences On Families And Toddlers

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Effects of Covid-19

The Effects of Covid-19, the coronavirus disease, were stressful for people.

Fear and anxiety about a new disease was overwhelming and caused harsh sentiments in grown-ups and offspring.

Public well-being actions, such as social distancing, can make people feel isolated and lonely and increase stress and anxiety.

Healthily handling stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger.
In the absence of a vaccine or treatment against Covid-19, “stay home, save lives” has become a global slogan.
Health workers have been in the forefront with Covid-19, seeing action on the Home Front during the pandemic.
In most families, parents have been managing the care and education of children.
And also, juggling the new demands of working from home and concerns for older relatives.
The impact on families and parents’ physical and mental health has been the source of comments and speculations.
During the pandemic, we stayed at our homes for safety and support.
Many children have helped from more time with their parents and regular daily patterns of meal and bedtimes.
It has also been expensive for families in terms of health, living conditions, and resources.

Taking an anthropologist’s perspective, Margaret Mead has highlighted the importance of the link between family relationships and integrating the individual into society.
Men and women merge into a socially determined role and, in turn, condition their children to it.
The laws governing the constitution and structure of the family are a kind of language.
It is like a system of operations, allowing a kind of communication between individuals and groups.
It results from a constructed and cultural artificial phenomenon assigning the individual to various tasks, roles, and statuses.
Studying the family is therefore also learning a system of relationships, the male / female relationship that overwhelms and builds it

In addition to the consequences of COVID-19 on our health system, the emergence of this new virus has adverse effects on families’ situation.
Containment and social distancing measures have notably led to increased business closures, layoffs, and employment insurance claims.
The pandemic risks weakening the financial situation of several households.
Besides, people with COVID-19 could see their income decrease during their mandatory confinement.

The containment measures put in place also increased feelings of anxiety, fear, and panic.
People already struggling with a mental health problem may be more at risk of suffering from psychological distress when they are isolated
Home confinement can be a risk for some families, for example, in a household with a spouse or abusive parents.
Finally, specific measures aimed at reducing the virus’s spread could result in the interruption of social support services.
People with a mental disorder may have more difficulty accessing the services they need.
Besides, parents of children with special needs could experience pressure and stress as they no longer access the supports.

The effects of the pandemic on families’ socio-economic situation can have consequences for the development of toddlers.
Children living in poverty are more likely to develop learning difficulties as soon as they start school and throughout their schooling.
These children are more likely to be vulnerable when they enter school, and they have a lower academic performance on average in first grade.
Children’s food-uncertainty is at greater risk of having delays in their cognitive, motor, and neuro-physiological development.
Food insecurity is also a predictor of chronic disease in early childhood.
Finally, other studies have also shown a link between a dwelling’s characteristics (e.g., noise, overcrowding, many comings and goings) and specific parenting aspects.
How the parent addresses his child, his sensitivity to meet the toddler’s needs, and his feeling of being competent as a parent play an important role.

It increases parental stress, unfavorable socio-economic conditions, therefore, associated abuse.
Besides, parental mental health issues impact the well-being of toddlers.
For example, according to some studies, maternal depression alters the interactions between mother and child.
Toddlers whose mothers have moderate to severe symptoms of depression are more likely to be victims of minor physical violence.

Job losses, school closures, and childcare services’ unavailability mean families, especially those from low-income households, need extra support.
Family-friendly policies and practices, including employment and income protection, paid time off to care for family members.
Flexible working arrangements and access to emergency child care quality can make a crucial difference.
They allow workers to protect and care for themselves and their children and improve workers’ productivity and sense of security.