Less school, less sport, more screens ... And more negative emotions. For some children, confinement for the past three months was not always synonymous with extended vacation. According to two studies, sedentary activities among young people, such as television and video games, increased so much during this period that they risk causing health problems for the youngest.
The confinement away from classmates, the cascade of negative information on the Covid-19, or the burden of homework also weighed on their morale. So much so that parents deplore the fact of having to deal with unprecedented tantrums and troubles. Testimonials.
"Difficult to go back": Marie-Laure, mother of two boys aged 9 and 7
"Does that make me a bad mother?" With a rhythm upset by confinement, Marie-Laure is asking questions. The mother of two boys aged 9 and 7, who lives in the Tarn, admits that she had to "relax" to keep up with the pace of telework, homework, and life at home in general.
“Before, I managed their console and tablet time, between 30 minutes and 1 hour per day. With teleworking, I couldn't handle everything, so I set the limits, ”she recalls. "In full fiscal period", difficult for the divorced accountant to manage the long days of work, the distance school and, above all, the angers of the boys who have grown.
"I could no longer fight against their crises, the 300,000 mothers a day," she says. “There was already great rivalry between them. By staying together 24 hours a day, they became more nervous, impatient. There were a lot of arguments, ”she continues, adding that she quickly felt exhausted. “One day, I found myself unable to explain a math exercise to my son from CM1. My brain couldn't do it anymore. I broke down. "
Since the deconfinement, the two boys return to school, two days a week. The rest of the time, they spend it at home. “It's hard to get them off the screens outside of school. The big one makes me very angry, it's impossible to negotiate, ”admits Marie-Laure, worried. “It's very difficult to go back. I am afraid that I will never be able to return to a normal rhythm ”.
"I acted more as a referee than my mother": Marlène, mother of five children from 6 months to 14 years old
For Marlène, a single mother of four girls aged 8, 11, 13 and 14, and a 6-month-old boy, confinement was "sport", she laughs. “My daughters often watched the news, they talked a lot about the virus. As I raise them alone, they were afraid that something would happen to me and that they would remain alone, ”says the mother based in the Loire.
Like many families living at home, the time spent together has sometimes created tension. In Marlène's house, these exploded to deconfinement. "One of my daughters has a disability, she has attention deficit disorder, dyslexia, she is hyperactive, and hypersensitive ... Last week, I wanted to do homework with her, and it was the drop of water, it screamed, we could not ask for anything, ”recalls the mother, a school assistant by training and used to helping children in difficulty.
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For all of her daughters, the pace of homework was hard to keep up. Especially with the lack of family equipment. “I only have a computer and a tablet to do the work of four students. They must therefore take turns, from 9:30 a.m. and sometimes until 8 p.m. One has the impression of doing only that. Psychologically, it's hard, "laments Marlene. "I was more the referee than the mom," she jokes.
The lack of activity was also felt. “My daughters only went out twice for two months, they were too scared. One of them has gotten a little bigger, she's starting to feel it, ”comments Marlène. On Monday, the girls will have to go back to college for a few days a week. Perhaps the opportunity for Marlene to take a break.
"My son lost 3 pounds in a week": Gaëlle, mother of two boys, 14 and 10 years old
When Gaëlle and her husband noticed that their son was taking much longer to finish his dishes, they quickly worried. "It took up to an hour to eat his meal, whereas usually, in 20 minutes, it's folded," she says. “He developed a swallowing disorder. He cut his ham into very small pieces, for fear of choking. He lost 3 pounds in a week. As it is not very thick, we got scared, ”recalls the mother, living in Annecy.
The disorder lasted three weeks, during which time both parents had to take responsibility for managing the boy's disorder. “At first, we didn't know. With my husband, we got a little nervous. And, finally, I looked on the Internet what it could be. It was advisable not to talk about it too much, not to get upset. I tried not to discuss this Covid too much, and even to turn off the news, ”says Gaëlle.
For the 10-year-old boy, it was difficult to admit the source of the trouble. "He didn't know where the problem was coming from, but it was clear that he had a lot of questions about the disease," she says. After several family discussions, the syndrome subsided. Since the deconfinement and the beginning of a return to a normal life, "it's better," says the mother.
