SINGAPORE - Once upon a time, Children's Day was a joyous celebration of childhood in Singapore, a day to treasure the innocence and exuberance of little ones.
The Straits Times takes a look at how the Covid-19 crisis has shaped childhood in Singapore so far this year. Other tots had speech delays as busy parents resorted to digital babysitters while working from home, and a"large number of children" had constipation because of their sedentary routines and changes in diet during the circuit breaker.
2. ... AND EMOTIONALLY "We see increased anxiety and depression in children post-circuit breaker," says Dr Celine Wong a consultant in the Department of Psychological Medicine at the National University Hospital . Some children experienced"severe anxiety" when they had to return to school and keep up with academic expectations despite the educational disruptions, with some refusing to go to school, she adds.
3. SCREEN TIME BECAME A BLESSING AND A CURSE In many countries, experts are concerned about millions of schoolgoing children who will miss key educational milestones because of extended school closures and multi-faceted problems with home-based learning. A BBC report in June even pondered if they would be a"lost generation".
Parents like Mrs Pamela Kirpalani, 39, an interpersonal communications coach and author, have had to weigh concerns about addiction with the social benefits of screen time. She discovered that her son Yaash and his classmates used the popular game Fortnite as a socialising and bonding platform. That is because kids need"a conducive home environment that includes resources such as Internet access, physical space, a computer and a mature adult to facilitate children's learning", Dr Kaveri explains.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Source: TODAYonline - 🏆 1. / 99 Read more »
Source: TODAYonline - 🏆 1. / 99 Read more »
Source: The Straits Times - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »