Childhood is the time for children to be in school and at play, to grow strong and confident with love and encouragement of their family and an extended community of caring adults. It's a precious time in which children should live free from fear, safe from violence and protected from abuse and exploitation. A child is an entity of a family, institution, society, religion and nation at large. While potential simply means having latent qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness. The potential of a child can't be underestimated because each child carries a special gift and talent for the growth and development of a country. If it's not properly nurtured, train and groom they turn our to become a nonentity to the society.
Different kinds of evil the country (Nigeria) is experiencing today is because the parents, guardians and the government lack their responsibility to cater for these children and they are leaders of tomorrow. Each child is embedded with a treasure and has a dream to fulfill in life , they are God given heritage.
Especially in this critical time (Covid-19) when the children need the attention of the parents, guardians and the government. The Covid-19 had presents the greatest challenge on the well being of these children both economically, psychologically, mentally, emotionally, academically etc.
The Challenges Of Covid-19 On Children.
1. Hunger: The pandemic disease Covid-19 has enhances hunger because of the preventive measure by the government which is really affecting the parents and guardians financially to meet the needs of these children and which leads to malnutrition, and lack of food for the children.
2.Psychological And Mental Imbalance: Majority of these children has seriously affected because if a child need is not meant if causes reasoning faculty of a child especially educationally.
3.Emotional Instability: During this pandemic disease Covid-19, it has increased emotional Instability especially among parents which usually lead to anger, anxiety and negative speech which can later affect the child behaviourally and intellectually by exhibiting fear, inferiority complex, depression etc.
4. Poverty: The physical distancing and lockdown measure needed to save lives and suppress the transmission of the virus have resulted in a significant reduction of economic activities across all major economics and the resultant of global recession and had led to many families at household level, struggling families will increasingly see the bread winner lose their jobs or to be forced to sell productive assets in order to survive with long running consequences of child poverty.
5.Child Abuse: The greatest negative impact of this pandemic disease is that it has make many children vulnerable. When a child is not well protected by a parent, the child will be exposed to varieties of evil eg raping, criminal act, prostitution, premature death and early pregnancy. Some of them are sent by their parents to hawk petty items like sachet water, buns, and groundnut and in the process some "wolves" entice them with little gifts and have sex with them even parents either look the other way or actively encourage their children to "source" for income to meet the family need through "runs" and there atimes poverty and ignorance is the root cause of these evil.
Solution For Children During Covid-19
1.Relationship: The parents should try their possible best to relate and get closer with their children during this pandemic period, to feel loved and accepted. It's during this time, the parents can easily discover the inner beauty (potential) of their children by asking questions educationally and build them morally. It will also help them to know their area of strength and weakness.
2. Communication: The parents/guardians should spend time for the children in interacting in order to know their mind, what bothers them and help them to solve their problems.
3. Continuous Learning: The children should be taught in the area of interest and what they love to do. The parents should engage,educate and empower them to avoid brain- drained after Covid-19.
4. Nutrition: Good feeding enhances cognitive faculty, though this pandemic is serious economically to feed, but the parents try to feed the children well with good and nutritious food.
5. Positive Word/ Optimism : The should always speak positively and word of encouragement to these children, even if there is little at home they will be able to understand the situation rather than negative speech through anger.
6. Safety: For most children, home represents a source of security and safety but for the minority, the opposite is tragically the case, like the refugees, homeless, street children, slum dwellers etc they are not secured especially during this pandemic disease they are easily exposed to it and domestic violence. A home should be a place a child is secured, accommodated and loved.
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