Best of the Web: The lockdown fatigue of high school students, and more

(Jewel Topsfield, The Age)

The impact of the pandemic with its lockdown and restrictions has taken its toll on many, particularly our young people.

A new report from Mission Australia, Young Voices of the Pandemic, reveals that Victorian senior students, who went through the longest and toughest lockdowns in the country, were most affected.

The national survey of more than 25,000 people aged 15 and 19 in 2020, with some 1650 reporting that COVID-19, or dealing with the pandemic’s impact on their life, was their greatest concern.

‘Young people in Victoria in their final years of school were most likely to report COVID-19 concerns, with changes to schooling often leading to disruption and feelings of worry and stress,’ the report said.

The young people themselves offer solutions, including more resources and support for mental wellbeing, and extra support for senior year students completing the final years of schooling during COVID.

(Molly Wright, TED)

The seven-year-old from Queensland has become a world sensation this month when she became of the youngest ever TED Talk presenters.

That impressive fact aside, it’s also about the compelling case she made, talking about the benefits of play on life-long learning, behaviour and wellbeing.

‘What if I was to tell you that a game of peek-a-boo could change the world,’ she tells her audience of adults. She goes on to talk about the powerful things they can do to help children’s development, and the adults they become.

‘Every moment together is an opportunity to connect, talk and play,’ she says. ‘Imagine the difference we could make if everyone everywhere did this. To us, the children, it’s so much more than just a game. It’s our future.’

You can watch her talk below:

Do you get down and play with your younger children? Would you rather not?

This is the challenging question dissected in this article by a mother of three who doesn’t want to play with them anymore.

‘As much as I love my kids – and I’ve done everything to structure my life so their needs come first – I’m over playing with them,’ she writes. ‘I don’t want to make Lego, I don’t want to join their make-believe Star Wars games, I don’t want even want to sit through prolonged board games with them.’

She is, she says, just too tired. But what about the inevitable feelings of guilt? Well, she’s dealt with it. She’s focusing on all the other roles she and her husband fulfill for them, being there for them when needed.