How stress affects our children's ability to learn.
In light of the recent pandemic, it would be foolish to think that our children will be able to slot straight back in to nursery, or school where they left off.
Anxiety, stress and new beliefs about safety and being near to others can be passed on either by the media or parents, when combined with the fear of illness or even just being away for their parents after all this time, will vastly inhibit a child's ability to learn. I invite you to think back to a time when you were highly stressed, or even just marginally worried about something. Were you on form? Were you able to focus? Were you in a prime position to bring your "A" game? I suspect not. In fact our children's ability to learn rests largely in their mental and emotional wellbeing. Young children learn best through play and yet the very energy of play can only be attained when a child feels safe and happy. There are two basic modes ... survival and growth. In survival, our highest brain functions shut down as our nervous system goes on full alert, making learning virtually impossible and impairs memory function, whilst our nervous system goes on high alert, with all senses searching for perceived threat.
It is not viable then, to expect our children to learn well , or "grow" in a situation where fear of others, face masks obscure expressions and where they have to wash their hands every time they touch anything. I don't know about you, but I suspect I will be keeping my children off for some time to come, as it seems to me that despite them not doing huge amounts of syllabus learning at home, they are at least, safe and happy to explore what lights them up with freedom from fear and anxiety.
The "Raise a Tiger" Programme
Teaching mental and emotional wellbeing to parents and children aged 2-7 years, through original music and FUN! No musical experience necessary.
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"It's literally the best thing I have ever done with my child!" - Jordana Matsuda - Early Childhood Educator
