Sixty per cent of parents say child's behaviour has got worse in lockdown, according to Northamptonshire-based parenting magazine

Sixty per cent of parents surveyed by a Northamptonshire-based parenting magazine said their child's behaviour had got worst during lockdown.

Toddle About, which is also the creator of the popular Lockdown Activity Guide, has undertaken research into the impact that lockdown is having on the behaviour of the nation’s children.

More than 1,100 parents completed the survey, which asked one simple question: ‘How has lockdown affected your children’s behaviour?’ - reporting on whether they felt things had got better, worse or stayed the same. The results were clear – an overwhelming 60% of parents feel that their child’s behaviour has got worse during lockdown.

The big question of course, is what can we do about it? Anne Goldsmith, child behaviour expert and founder of Behaviour First Consultancy, gives her advice:

Keep Perspective – Don’t Panic

All children are different, and the causes for changes in behaviour will be many and varied. All children go through phases with their behaviour with or without lockdown. Try to keep a sense of perspective. Children are pretty good at adapting if given support, time and space.

Try to Understand

Before trying to fix the ‘problem’, it’s important that we try to understand what is causing this change. The negative impact that changes in routine and structure can have on young children will be a huge contributing factor. Young children’s social interactions have changed dramatically; many are no longer seeing their usual carers, such as grandparents, nursery and preschool staff. They may not be seeing friends either. These daily interactions play a significant role in their early development. Suddenly thrown out of their usual routine, children can feel confused and often scared, which can then be expressed in their behaviour.

Get plenty of fresh air, exercise, play and sleep

The beautiful weather we have had recently would normally be enjoyed with trips to the play area, seaside and the zoo. None of these have been possible for nearly 4 months. These outings play an important role, helping children to get a healthy dose of fresh air and exercise, tiring them out ready for sleep; all of which are important factors in promoting positive behaviour. Do what you can to help them safely enjoy the outside spaces that are gradually opening up again.

Remember to look after yourself

It’s not just the children – parents are suffering under lockdown too. Parents’ lives have also been turned upside down - many have been unable to work, or are now working from home. They feel under pressure to be their child’s teacher and keep them occupied all the time. This has been extremely challenging for many, many parents. The feeling that they have to occupy their child constantly – not knowing how best to do so and then feeling guilty and like a failure when they don’t achieve what they wanted. Children are incredibly sensitive and will pick up on stress from their parents.

It’s not all bad news

Despite the overwhelming numbers of parents that feel their children’s behaviour has gone downhill, a significant 10% of parents who took part in the survey say their child’s behaviour has actually improved and 30% feel it hasn’t changed much at all.

Release from pressures at school may go some way to explaining this. Lockdown has also provided many families with the opportunity to spend more quality time together, enjoying bike rides, walks and time spent learning new skills like cooking. And this precious gift – the gift of our attention – can be the single most impactful thing any parent can give to help improve their child’s well-being.

Tim Freed, managing director of Toddle About said: “Having noticed changes in our own children’s behaviour – and with several of our friends having reported similar things, we wanted to see if we were part of a bigger trend in behavioural issues caused by lockdown.”

“The results of the survey are certainly interesting, but it’s the feedback we have received from parents that has been most touching – we have received many comments from parents expressing their relief that it’s not just them who are struggling. Hopefully the advice provided here will help families across the country - but perhaps, when things get tough, the most helpful thing is simply to know that we are not alone.”

If parents are looking for ways to help improve their children’s behaviour, the full report can be found here: https://www.toddleabout.co.uk/parenting/the-impact-of-lockdown-on-our-children/