Lockdown has strengthened family ties but new term is more important than ever, say parents
THEY have been at home for months thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, and while homeschooling proved a stressful time for parents, many children have learned new life skills that will benefit them for years to come.
According to research commissioned by Very.co.uk, four in five parents say their family has benefited from the time spent together at home, almost half of children (47%) have learned new cooking skills, a third have taken up gardening and a quarter have begun painting.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing of course, with half of families admitting to arguing over homework and a fifth over the remote-control during lockdown. But parents say they’re going to miss their little ones when they get back to school.
Kids have even been helping with chores during their extended school break with 29% of parents reporting that their children have begun doing the washing up, emptying the dishwasher and making the bed during lockdown.
As uniforms are prepared for the big return – indeed in Scotland children have already gone back to education – many families say they have enjoyed spending time together, having gone on more walks than pre-lockdown, and three quarters of children have picked up a new hobby over the last few months.
This September’s back-toschool moment certainly feels even more important than ever before. Nearly 80% of parents said they’ll be making new purchases ahead of their children going back, with 43% of children requesting new clothes and accessories (predominantly coats and trainers), while 35% of children have asked for new laptops and headphones.
Former Corrie star Catherine Tyldesley and her son Alfie appear in Very.co.uk’s Back to School campaign this year.
Ahead of five-year-old Alfie going to school, Catherine said: “I can really relate to the people that said lockdown has had a
positive effect on family life.
“Obviously there’s been a lot of negativity floating around during these pretty awful circumstances, but there are some lovely rays of light [where] children are learning how to garden and paint and do lots of creative things during lockdown with their families.
“They’re getting extra time with their families which is massively important and a bit of a luxury in this day and age.
“Back to school will be a much bigger moment this year than previously, my Alfie is so excited about going back to school and being back with his friends.”