4th April, 2020
Some parents in Kano have expressed worry over stress associated with child control sequel to the lockdown order and school closure occasioned by Coronavirus pandemic.
The state government had on March 20, directed for the closure of schools and ordered workers to stay at home as part of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
The development compelled parents and guardians to stay with their wards at home.
A cross-section of the parents, who spoke in separate interviews on Saturday in Kano, said that they had been overstretched with the stress of controlling children in the past 10- days.
A parent, Mr Sadiq Umar, said while the lockdown positively assisted to contain spread of the virus, parents were overwhelmed by monitoring to control children at home.
Umar said the lockdown was getting tougher on children as they devoted much of their time playing and scattering everything in sight in the name of play.
“Yesterday my children destroyed my car windscreen while playing football.
“Since the closure of school, there have been incessant complaints from the kids due to too much free time. I am acting like a judge settling one case after another as they engage in fights.
“The children are more in the playing ground rather than reading or doing their assignments as it used to be.
“The situation availed me the opportunity to monitor them especially on certain behaviours in my absence.
“It makes us closer than ever before and increased the bond between us,” he said.
Hamisu Muhammad, a civil servant, expressed joy that the school closure made the children more active than before.
“My kids now eat a lot and play much, always disturbing from morning till night, they are not fond of taking their bath as they do when the schools are running.
“My children now engage in household chores without even asking them to do so,” he said.
Muhammad noted that some of his children were now eager to go back to school as they mimicked their teachers at home.
“We pray to Almighty Allah to continue to forgive all our sins, guide, protect the nation and bring an end to the pandemic.
“I am happy that we are much closer with the kids than before, the only disadvantage is that the children are becoming more playful but it is well,” he said.
Another resident, Morenikeji Babatunde, said that the stay at home order enabled her to interact better with her kids.
Babatunde, a banker added that: “I now close from work by 2:00 p.m. as against 7:00 p.m. before the lockdown and by the time e I reached it is late and sometimes the children went to bed.
“The lockdown enable parents to learn how to control their temper because it is not easy staying with children at home without going to school, I hope the pandemic will be over for the school to resume,” she said.
Recounting her lockdown experience, Mrs Binta Musa, noted that the stay at home order had not been an easy task because it was difficult to keep the children indoors as they always wanted to go out to play.
“My kids now eat a lot since they have nothing doing, parents are now spending more, we just have to provide enough food for the children,” she said.
Also, Sayo Deji, a housewife, said the situation has made her kids to be hardworking at home unlike when they went to school and returned tired.
“My two kids like washing and arranging the parlor whenever am sleeping, they have really made some of the house chores easy for me,” Deji said.
Mrs. Florence said, “I want them to resume quickly. I’m tired of shouting every minute.”