Kids across Staffordshire and Cheshire suffering loneliness from not playing outside
More than half of parents are worried their child has become lonely
New research by the NSPCC reveals parents across Staffordshire and Cheshire think play has become more important for children because of the pandemic. Over half have also said their children have been more lonely.
Some 81% of parents across the two counties with children aged three to twelve think playing outside will be important for their child’s wellbeing this summer – and over half say that they think their children have been more lonely, the NSPCC has found.
Mubashar Khaliq covers our region for the NSPCC and says playing outside is key to children's mental health and development.
"It enables children, whether they're young or old, to encounter in new adventures and help to develop resilience, creativity" he said.
"These things can be helpful for young people to work through or make sense of difficult emotions or difficult aspects of the life.
"Play is a really good way to socialise and build emotional resilience. And it can contribute to children in people's confidence and self esteem, playing all sorts of really important roles in forming attachments, friendship groups, peer groups, and connections with family and friends.
"Young people have said they felt sad and lonely, overwhelmed, they said that they felt that they lost a sense of control over their lives last year, and the January lockdown presented another particularly challenging time for people, as with COVID death threats rising schools closed down for a second time."
Kerry Weir's daughter, doesn't live near her school friends so spends a lot of her time inside.
Kerry said:
"It does worry me that kids don't play out as much because obviously when I was younger, that was the norm. but I also understand why kids don't play out as much because I just think it's a bit more dangerous now.
"I think it's really important that kids get out with their friends. Most kids now have a phone or an iPad that they speak to their friends on and I find that kids seem to bicker more when they're not in person and they're over text or Messenger or something like that.
"There was definitely a time during the first lockdown where everybody was scared about seeing each other and I think she was really lonely. She was upset. She had a friend who she spent most weekends with and it had been really difficult because since they were about 5 years old, they've been together.
"It's difficult to encourage her to go and play out because if she's playing out she's more than likely playing out by herself."
The study also found that 69% of parents in the region surveyed said play has become more important for their children since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This comes as the online YouGov poll of 1,036 parents from across the UK with children aged three to twelve revealed that 65% said their children have played inside more since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, and 70% have spent less time playing with friends.
243 parents surveyed revealed that 63% of their children had played inside more since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, and 72% have spent less time playing with friends.