Wash your hands. Cough into your arm. Stay 2m apart. These are messages early years staff have repeated since the first national coronavirus lockdown began in March 2020. Practitioners have carried children through this emergency on a cushion of cute virus cartoons, colourful painted rainbows and role-play games in which the heroes wear facemasks. They adapted social distancing guidelines to meet their cohort’s well-being and moved provision outdoors into fresh air. They kept up morale, and ensured children were safe and happy, despite the climate of fear.
But in the current national lockdown, the atmosphere is different. Childcare practitioners across the UK are reporting high anxiety levels as case numbers and the death toll soar – a situation described as ‘out of control’ by health secretary Matthew Hancock. The Government shut all schools at the beginning of January, but instructed early years settings to remain open, leaving practitioners questioning how safe they are.
The emergence of a new Covid-19 variant, which is more easily transmissible, is leaving settings short-staffed as colleagues fall ill. Only this week, London's largest group of social enterprise nurseries the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) reported it closed more than a third of its settings after 48 positive cases were detected in January alone. ‘Morale is lower, a little less altruistic, and staff are more stressed and anxious about cross infection,’ says LEYF chief executive June O’Sullivan.
ON THE INSIDE
Hygiene-inspired practices remain part of daily life within settings during this wave, as do practitioners’ efforts to maintain joy and normality. But LEYF nursery manager Emma Miller is concerned children may be suffering more during this lockdown.
‘From an adult’s perspective, this wave doesn't carry with it the same outward fear or anxiety, this is more internal,’ she says. ‘If we as adults are feeling like this, how are the children internalising it?’
Innsworth Old Station Nursery manager Jess Clayton agrees staff are finding the current climate challenging, but believes children are ok. ‘Practitioners are definitely more anxious than they were previously,’ she says. ‘It is the unknown and wondering when there is going to be an end. We have not experienced the children picking up on any adult fear – the children have been resilient and have adapted to change. If they have questions, then we answer them and listen to their concerns.’
EMOTIONAL SPONGES
Clinical psychologist Dr Kate Mason warns that practitioners need to be aware of how well children mirror adults’ feelings. ‘Children are like emotional sponges and they will take their lead from those with whom they feel safe or are most familiar with,’ she says.
‘It is important adults are mindful of how we are acting and communicating our emotions about what we are hearing or seeing related to coronavirus, as children will pick up on our anxiety and feel unsafe.’
She points out that children may be unable to verbalise their feelings, but may exhibit behaviours associated with worry such as more frequent meltdowns, sleep changes, increased clinginess or bouts of feeling unwell.
Ms Mason says the messages nurseries communicated to children during the first lockdown are just as valid during this one. And it is important to deliver these empathetically and filter out anything inappropriate. ‘Do young children need to know that there are more contagious strains and that the R number is up more than last March?’ she suggests.
CORE MESSAGES
‘The core message to children is the same,’ advises Encyclopaedia Britannica director of early leaning and author Ann Gadzikowski. ‘We are here to take care of you and help you learn and grow. Even when we, as parents and caregivers, feel anxious and unsure, we can still convey to children a sense of calm and security.’
She also recommends maintaining routines as much as possible. This can be challenging if practitioners are self-isolating and nursery groups have to relocate to different rooms or settings.
‘Although we’ve had to adapt many of our caregiving tasks to new health and safety protocols, we can still provide the anchors of ordinary daily life – regular meals, time to play, time to rest,’ says Ms Gadzikowski.
She points out that children may find it confusing if their friends are not attending a setting, because their parents have chosen not to send them, or their setting is only open for keyworker children.
‘Children may have more difficulty separating from their parents at the start of the school day when they know other children are staying home,’ she says. ‘In that case, acknowledge the child’s feelings and offer the same comforts you would provide any child who was experiencing separation anxiety.’
A RANGE OF EMOTIONS
Kate Boniface, a primary school teacher and co-author of the Kindness Curriculum coronavirus My Wellbeing Toolkit, says creating a space for children to talk about their feelings is especially important at the current time.
‘While they might seem ok, children are still feeling a whole range of emotions under the surface,’ she says. ‘Practitioners meanwhile may be less inclined to ask questions now, because [this way of life has] become the norm. But, actually, children may have just as many questions, they just may appear more accepting of it all.’
She recommends practitioners model how to express feelings and show children it’s ok not to feel ok. She gives the example of a child who is upset that school trips have been cancelled. ‘Establish it can’t happen at this moment,’ she recommends. ‘The museum is shut, but hopefully it will reopen at some point. Then move onto how they’re feeling about it. Say: “I see how you’re feeling – it makes me feel like this too”.
‘Talk about how it makes you feel. Then move on: “We’re all feeling a bit frustrated or angry that we can’t do the things we love doing. What else could we do? Shall we do something we can enjoy like our dancing, breathing exercises, or drawing picture for grandma?” Always provide them with a choice of things they can do instead.’
FOLLOWING CHILDREN’S LEAD
At Springfield Bees Pre-School in Essex, manager Carla Deluca says practitioners are following children’s lead on when to discuss the virus. ‘We let the children feel comfortable about asking questions and, when appropriate, open up discussions about keeping safe and talking through their concerns,’ she says. ‘These have been sparked by children making comments such as: “Coronavirus is a bad bug. I want it to go away so I can kiss my nanny and grandad.”
‘It has been our aim throughout the pandemic to ensure children feel safe and welcome in an environment where they are free to be themselves without the fears and worries that external factors may be having on them at this time,’ she adds.
WORKING WITH PARENTS
It is also important practitioners work closely with parents when communicating messages about the pandemic to their children, as Childminding UK executive director Elaine Pitteway recommends. ‘Childminders should talk to parents to find out what they say and what language they use for consistency,’ she says.
‘There will be children who have experienced illness or bereavement at home so it’s very important that childminders work closely with parents to provide support.’ (Look out for ‘All about…bereavement’ in our March issue. The guide will look at the impact of bereavement on young children and how to respond.)
GIVING HOPE
Ms Boniface warns against making promises that cannot be kept. ‘It’s really important to remind children that this isn’t permanent, but just be careful about how we talk about the next step,’ she advises. ‘We can’t say, this will end soon, because what does soon mean? We don’t want to say, one day we won’t have to wear masks anymore, because who knows? We have to be careful with our language saying things like this.’
Ms Mason recommends practitioners create a sense of hope for children. ‘During the first lockdown we all thought life would be back to normal by September, so children may be feeling a little disheartened and confused as to why this hasn’t happened,’ she says.
‘Their worries may be less about the virus itself and more about when they can return to seeing friends or having birthday parties. We need to be communicating that we are all working together to do our bit and we need to be praising them for being part of that.
‘When we feel like things are not under our influence, we tend to lose hope and become apathetic, but when we focus on what we can change, it gives us a sense of purpose.’
PRACTITIONERS’ WELL-BEING
All the experts agree that to meet children’s current needs, practitioners must take good care of themselves. ‘I encourage practitioners to focus on their own self-care and rest,’ says Ms Gadzikowski.
‘Limit the amount of time you spend watching the news and following social media. Get as much rest as you can. When caring for children, if you feel stressed or anxious, ask for help from your co-workers or supervisors.’
First Friends nursery group manager Louise Hayes says her managers are having regular meetings with staff individually to ensure they are feeling happy and safe at work. ‘We also have a Covid policy in place which is regularly reviewed and updated,’ she adds.
Wash your hands. Cough into your arm. Stay 2m apart. The messages are the same during this wave of the pandemic, but the sentiment under the surface is different. ‘The longer we carry that heavy load, the more difficult it becomes,’ says Ms Gadzikowski. But she adds: ‘We are here for children; we will take care of them.’
