Spotlight on mothers and children in lockdown - Abraham Kriel
Spotlight on mothers and children in lockdown
May started with Mother’s day on centre stage and will end with international Child Care week. So we asked our Mothers in Children’s homes how that worked out during the lockdown period.
These are some of their positive responses:
“We bonded as a family.”
“The children learned to appreciate the value of life.”
“Doing things together brought us closer.”
“Grade 12’s progressed with their use and understanding of technology.”
As can be expected these child care workers had many of the same cares and frustrations as other women and mums. “I really missed hugging the kids in my house,” said one mother. They miss their own families and particularly their children or grandkids. Those with elderly parents were very concerned about them. One person reported that a family member is ill with Covid 19 and she was quite distressed about that situation.
We asked how school work went and here too were diverse responses:
“I really struggled to motivate the children to do the work.”
“I was very grateful to Riana, who is the campus manager and a qualified teacher. She helped tremendously.”
“I had to explain the same thing over and over again. I have new respect for the patience that teachers must have.”
“The grade 12 boy struggled with learning online at first, but he gradually got better. He is really appreciative of the resources I provided for him.”
“We have the data, but the connectivity is unreliable and connections are often dropped. This frustrates the kids.”
“Our children with special needs did not receive school work to do, so I had to keep them busy with stuff like cooking and simple crafts.”
We wanted to know how our Moms were doing personally and many admitted to being exhausted. They said that they were drained and really needed a break. A few ladies yearned to go back to church as they felt that they needed both the spiritual encouragement and the social support to be found there.
The lighter side of lockdown:
Ernesta, campus manager at Maria Kloppers told us about using her tablet for online therapy. The youngest girl to get therapy this way was five years old. The screen of the tablet was full of paint and clay by the end of the session.
Babies that receive speech and occupational therapy mistook the smart phone for a teething implement and it went straight into their mouths. It took all hands on deck in the baby unit to keep the smart phone safe.
Kollig op moeders en kinders in die lockdown
Meimaand is bekend as moedersdagmaand en vanjaar eindig Meimaand met Internasionale Kinderweek. Ons het ons “moeders” van die kampusse en satelliethuise uitgevra oor hulle ervarings tydens die Grendeltyd.
Hier is ‘n paar positiewe reaksies:
Ons familiebande is hegter as ooit
Kinders besef nou hoe kosbaar die lewe is
Ons is nader aan mekaar, want ons moet alles saam en vir mekaar doen
Graad 12 leerlinge se gebruik en begrip van tegnologie het met rasse skrede gevorder.
Natuurlik het ons kinderversorgers dieselfde frustrasies as ander mammas. “Ek mis dit regtig om vir die kinders drukkies te gee,” sê ‘n ma. Die kinderversorgers mis ook hulle eie families, getroude kinders en kleinkinders. Hulle mis ook hul bejaarde ouers en is besorg oor hulle welstand. Een mamma weet dat ‘n lid van haar familie ‘n Covid-19 pasiënt is en sy voel ontsteld daaroor.
Ons hoor ‘n rits verskillende opmerkings oor skoolwerk :
Ek sukkel om die kinders gemotiveerd te kry om hul werk te doen.
Ek is so dankbaar dat Riana, ons kampusbestuurder, ‘n gekwalifiseerde onderwyseres is. Sy help vreeslik baie.
Ek moes dieselfde konsep oor en oor en oor verduidelik. Ek het opnuut respek vir die geduld van onderwysers.
Ons Graad 12 seun het gesukkel om aanlyn te werk, maar hy het verbeter. Hy waardeer regtig die bronne en die hulp wat ons vir hom bied.
Ons het data, maar sukkel met onbetroubare verbindings. Die gevolg is dat ons kort-kort onderbrekings het en dit frustreer die kinders grensloos.
Ons kinders wat Spesiale Skole bywoon, het geen werk ontvang nie. Hulle vaardigheid word ontwikkel met ander aktiwiteite, soos kook en bak en kunsvlyt.
Op ‘n vraag oor hoe hulle persoonlik voel, het hulle deur die bank laat blyk dat hulle gedaan is. Hulle noem dat hule gedreineerd voel en sien uit na ‘n ruskansie. Party dames het ‘n innige begeerte om ‘n kerkdiens by te woon. Hulle verlang na geestelike aansporing en sosiale ondersteuning .
En dan is daar altyd ‘n ligpuntjie:
Ernesta, kampusbestuurder by Maria Kloppers, het haar tablet gebruik vir aanlyn terapie vir die kleuters. Die jongste is net 5 jaar. Aan die einde van die sessie was die tablet skaars herkenbaar van al die verf en klei.
Die peutertjies het arbeidsterapie aanlyn ontvang. Die slimfoon is dadelik aangesien as ‘n tande ring en dit is reguit mond toe. Dit was ‘n groot werk om die foon te red van al die klein handjies en mondjies.