ONE IN THREE PARENTS ‘OUT OF THEIR DEPTH’ AS CHILDREN STRUGGLE WITH PANDEMIC FALLOUT

Charity launches national Parent Talk advice service, as families fear months of uncertainty ahead 

• New Action for Children research shows UK parents are on the edge as pandemic causes mental health issues for them and their children
• More than one in three admit to feeling overwhelmed or ‘out of their depth’ when it comes to supporting their children
• Parents say children have felt isolated, suffered from night terrors and displayed aggressive behaviour during lockdown
• Anxiety stretches into an uncertain future as parents worry about children adjusting to a new normal
• Charity launches ‘Parent Talk’ - a new online service connecting mums and dads with parenting coaches
• One mum: “My daughter’s behaviour has deteriorated to a worrying level - major temper tantrums and night terrors almost every night… we are so worried for her.”

A YouGov survey of over 2,000 parents by Action for Children today (Tuesday 14 July) lays bare the devastating impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on millions of families in Britain, with parents and children struggling to cope with issues caused by life in lockdown.

After months of lockdown over a third of parents (36%) say their children are feeling isolated and lonely, with millions also reported as anxious, or unable to sleep.¹  This has left parents themselves reeling with four in ten (43%) feeling anxious and more than one in three (33%) admitting to being out of their depth when it came to supporting their children during the lockdown. Many are also experiencing the same loneliness and sleep problems they say their children are. 

Even with restrictions easing, parents are fearful about the weeks and months of uncertainty ahead. Over one in three (37%) say they are worried their children will struggle to socialise and want to remain at home. Mums and dads experiences included their children ‘bedwetting’, becoming ‘clingy and unsure’ and not ‘wanting to go outside’. Others reported ‘disordered eating’, that their child had become ‘weepy’, ‘frustrated’ or ‘scared of people’ outside their home.

With ongoing uncertainty, Action for Children is warning things are likely to get worse as the long term impacts of the pandemic become clearer. After seeing a surge of 415%  in the three months of lockdown to its digital parenting advice service, the charity is launching Parent Talk - a new national online service which connects mums and dads with trained parenting coaches. Its confidential one-to-one online chat service gives parents somewhere to turn for free, practical advice and emotional support.

The charity is also urging the government to do its part by prioritising children’s mental health in the COVID recovery planning, and providing adequate funding to meet the surge in need feared in the months ahead.

Lynn Giles, Parent Talk Manager at Action for Children, said: “The pandemic has triggered a crisis for mums, dads and children on an unprecedented scale, with parents feeling overwhelmed without their usual support from friends and family, or any certainty for the future.

“Huge numbers of children will need extra support over the coming months and parents are telling us they don’t know where to turn. As the immediate health crisis passes we now need to turn our attention to the scars coronavirus has left on families struggling with a whole new reality -  with many grieving from having lost loved ones, and others worrying about their jobs and their futures. 

“With so many mums and dads in desperate need of guidance, a service like Parent Talk is needed now more than ever. Our parent coaches are there for any questions parents have - big or small. Anyone who needs a bit of support in these tough times can go to parent-talk.org.uk."

Case study: Nikki Wallis, 32, lives with her partner Adam, 30 in Selkirk, Scotland. The couple have four daughters, Katelynn, 10, Macey 8, Quinn, 5 and Carly, 2, all of whom have been struggling.

"It’s the uncertainty of everything that has made my anxiety and depression so bad. When the kids ask me questions I just don’t know any of the answers and can’t reassure them about anything. They’ll ask about school and what will happen if there is a second wave but no one knows what is happening. When I can’t tell the kids anything that’s when the anxiety builds up.

"Macey has just turned eight and she’s gone from a quite spirited, happy child to a little girl who’s not interested in anything and her attitude and behaviour over the last few weeks has been an issue. Even my eldest, who usually takes everything in her stride has started to struggle. She hasn’t seen her Dad, my ex-partner, for months as he works for the NHS and she has health problems. She misses him and is so emotional all the time. She is becoming more withdrawn and staying in her room. The two youngest ones don’t really understand what’s going on but I’m worried about them returning to school and nursery. If the staff are wearing masks I think that will scare them more than anything. Before lockdown my youngest had sleep issues, and they have worsened now.

"It gets so confusing and you just can’t give the kids any routine whereas before all of this we had a really strict routine and everyone knew exactly how their day was going to be. Now we’ve got nothing."