the New Norm?
The closing of schools in March 2020 was the most
serious sign that COVID-19 had come to Jamaica. Families with school-aged children were then faced with having them at home, feeding them throughout the day and ensuring that they kept up with their required schoolwork.
Parents were told to work from home, as far as was possible. However, it became apparent that persons in the informal economy, who needed to go out every day to earn a living, found this directive hard to obey.
We were told not to visit anyone and to “Tan a yu yaad.” At first, some family members found the change of routine exciting; not recognizing how long this change would remain. Some children were happy to be out of school surmising that they would return after the Easter holidays but this was not to be.
The effect on the families was varied – but research done by Caribbean Policy & Research Unit of the U.W.I. (CAPRI) on a representative sample of Jamaican households revealed that the average share on household income lost was 46% for all of the households surveyed. Additionally, 44% of households have experienced food shortages. Mom or Dad may have lost his or her job or have had reduced hours and that would have created strain on the family.
However, it has not been all doom and gloom. Some families found that this was a time for increased bonding and playing games like dominoes with each other; they were actually able to have more meals together because movements were restricted. They were able to establish new family rituals and a new routine for the family.
Other families found that this prolonged time in each other’s company bred more conflict and anger and unfortunately in some instances, interpersonal violence and child abuse.
For many children, attendance at school and church was an escape from tumultuous households. Firstly, they were now at greater risk because they were in lockdown with possibly abusive family members. Secondly, they were not going out to school where an important group of gate keepers may be found. Teachers and guidance counsellors will often detect and report child abuse. But now there was no face-to-face contact. Although the reports of child abuse to the National Child Registry decreased, there was reason to believe that this was due to decreased reporting.
Supervision might have been a problem if there was a single parent, for example, a single mother who had to go out to work. Additionally, many children depended on getting at least one good meal at school. This was no longer a possibility. Mother and/or Father, working from home, had been placed in the role of adjunct teachers as children began online classes.
Parents were conflicted regarding the increased need for screen time by the children. They accepted that technology and the internet had to be used more often but had attendant anxiety regarding the dangers of cyberspace.
In fact, children and adolescents surveyed in the study by CAPRI, admitted to feeling more bored, lonely, frustrated, anxious and depressed, as a result of the pandemic.
Despite these challenges, significant resilience has been demonstrated by many families as they strove to continue their usual activities in a virtual fashion. Notably, many churches developed sophisticated online platforms which provided considerable support and a sense of camaraderie among the members. Support from other organizations and government agencies also assisted many families in adapting to the “new normal”.
Dr Judith Lieba Thomas,
Child Psychiatrist