Nearly one in five parents think pupils’ behaviour is worse now than before the Covid pandemic, a survey suggests.
Almost a fifth of parents said their child’s behaviour had deteriorated since the start of the pandemic and a similar proportion raised concerns about children feeling anxious.
Parents were more likely to say their child was now excessively gaming and refusing to do homework compared with before Covid-19, according to a report by the children’s mental health charity Place2Be.
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Around half of parents have felt isolated (52 per cent) during the pandemic and many have felt overwhelmed (54 per cent) or anxious (53 per cent) about parenting, the poll shows.
The survey, of more than 900 parents of children aged between 4 and 11, suggests that 49 per cent have found it a challenge to manage their child’s behaviour.
The impact of Covid on child behaviour
Overall, 18 per cent of parents think their child’s behaviour is worse now than before the pandemic.
The most common concerning behaviours cited by parents included children spending too much time gaming (20 per cent), feeling anxious (18 per cent), having meltdowns (17 per cent) and having trouble sleeping (17 per cent).
Compared with behaviour before the pandemic, parents were more likely to say their child was now refusing to do their homework (16 per cent compared with 13 per cent), persistently fighting with their sibling or siblings (15 per cent compared with 12 per cent), and spending too much time gaming (20 per cent compared with 15 per cent).
Catherine Roche, chief executive of Place2Be, said: “We all want the best for our children, but being a parent can be really tough, and this has been exacerbated over the past year and a half by the pandemic.
“Through our frontline work in schools, we’ve spoken with countless parents and carers who have seen changes in their children’s behaviour and are worried about the impact on them.”
Mothers are much less likely to feel supported as a parent, as just 38 per cent said they felt well supported, compared with 51 per cent of fathers.
The online survey questioned 962 parents of children aged 4 to 11 between September 24 and 26.
