The past 18 months of lockdown and online schooling have turned my once energetic and sporty teenage son into a couch potato. Pre-pandemic he used to love playing games and actively participated in all extracurricular activities at school. But the lockdown has changed his food habits, and he consumes a lot of junk food and has put on weight. That he has to sit in front of the computer all day for online classes has added to his frustration.
Meenakshi Sinha
Bengaluru
Also read: Readying children for on-campus school
School reopening fears
As a parent, I have mixed feelings about sending my children back to in-person classes. I am anxious and frightened that they may catch the Covid-19 virus while at the same time I am worried about the socio-emotional and learning loss they are suffering because of not attending physical school for over one year. My six-year old is in danger of losing social and communication skills. My eight-year-old is becoming increasingly frustrated with online schooling, and misses his friends.
Your cover story ‘Readying children for on-campus school (PW September) was useful and made me feel more open to sending my children back to school. But I would be more comfortable and confident about schools reopening if you had presented scientific evidence about children being less vulnerable to the Coronavirus.
Margaret Ira
Chennai
Protect children from digital addiction
Your story ‘Pandemic health woes’ was spot-on (PW September). I can relate to each symptom — vitamin deficiency; sleep deficit and depression/anxiety disorders. Especially sleep deficit and anxiety. There is constant fear of children and loved ones contracting the virus and lockdown restrictions coming into effect again.
However you missed to cover a major pandemic-related health problem — rising digital addiction among children. With lockdown restrictions and online schooling, children have become addicted to digital gadgets and are reporting eye problems and depression. Parents have also become less stringent in enforcing screen time rules because the general belief is that technology is the new normal. We need to do more to protect our children from digital addiction.
Vinay Sharma
Chennai
Don’t fault parents
Thanks for your well-written September cover story which presented curated facts about the impact of Covid-19 on children’s health and well-being. There is a lot of misinformation in the media about children falling severely ill after contracting Covid-19. Also with some medical experts predicting that the third wave will affect children severely, you cannot fault parents for not wanting to send children to school.
As a parent I am still in two minds about sending my children back to school. I hope the government starts a vaccination programme for children soon. It will ease many parents’ fears especially with epidemiologists hinting that Covid-19 has now become an endemic disease.
Shylaja Das
Mumbai
Excellent vegetarian foods recipes
I loved reading your September recipes section which gave excellent suggestions for making protein-rich vegetarian meals. My son is nine years old and is a budding athlete and needs to be on a high protein diet. Though I do make many dishes with soya, your soya recipes were very interesting. Soya is a rich source of vegetarian protein. I have read that it contains more protein than non-vegetarian foods. I strongly believe vegetarians can get enough protein from a variety of foods such as rajma and channa. Please do continue to feature recipes for vegetarians.
Also my son loves the Kidzone section as there aren’t too many children’s magazines nowadays.
Megha Agarwal
Delhi