Gallup study shows pandemic’s lingering effects on kids

NASHVILLE (BP)—Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic, a Gallup study is sharing parents’ perspectives on how that time has affected their children’s social skills and mental health, as well as its impact on academics.

Nearly half—45 percent—of parents surveyed observe a negative impact of the pandemic on their school-age children. Out of that figure, about 22 percent say social difficulty is ongoing.

Approximately 42 percent of respondents say the pandemic negatively affected their child’s mental health, with half characterizing it as persistent.

Lisa Moore has served in student and children’s ministry pretty much since marrying her minister husband Rick 36 years ago. That’s also the amount of time she has been a nurse, the last 30 years in pediatrics.

Moore’s observations through her full-time work in the Pediatric Developmental and Behavioral Health department at Atrium Heath Navicent in Macon, Ga., and 10 years as part-time children’s minister at Lawrence Drive Baptist Church overall align with the study’s findings.

The pandemic’s effects on children appear to be far less noticeable on those she sees heavily involved in church. There is another side she has observed, though.

“There are a number of kids who previously came to church and participated who have not returned,” she said. “I feel a lot of that is due to social anxiety.”

She also has seen a change in how eager children are to become involved. There is a noticeable hesitancy among some, a nature she also observed at times to be passed along by parents.

Impact of social isolation still seen

The fourth and fifth graders of the pandemic are the freshmen and sophomores of today. She said the amount of social isolation from then still can be seen.

“Some kids were able to be around others, whether it was siblings or another close family where it was decided they wouldn’t be completely isolated from others. But some kids weren’t able to be around anyone else.”

That could’ve been the case because they were the only child in the home or the family decided to isolate completely. Either way, those children weren’t left with much more interaction than a screen.

“Electronics played a huge role,” she said, noting how screens were instrumental not only for socializing, but for school.

Melody Wilkes is the director of Preschool and Children’s Ministry at First Baptist Church in Brunswick, Ga., as well as on the leadership team for a private Christian school. She has monitored the pandemic’s impact on children from both roles.

Although not as pronounced as its impact on mental health, the Gallup study nevertheless reported 36 percent of parents saying their children’s math skills were negatively impacted, as were reading (31 percent) and science (30 percent) proficiencies.

The survey affirms what she has noticed among elementary and middle school-aged children.

“The overall academic scores for our students are down from pre-COVID levels,” she said. “I don’t know if that is due to COVID or teachers and leadership at individual schools, but the fact remains that our kids are still behind where they used to be.”

Busy schedules create other problems

Children and families in her direct line of observation have largely overcome social challenges from the lockdown, Wilkes said. That can be attributed to an abundance of activities available since then and a desire to get outside. But that also has come with a cost.

“Schedules are very busy, with some parents engaging their kids in multiple activities during the week as well as on the weekends,” she said. “Those build social skills and friendships, and that’s healthy. But my concerns lie with overscheduling our children without prioritizing Christian training.

“A lot of that falls to the church to provide those opportunities. However, many churches cut back on their activities during COVID and didn’t fully re-engage, taking the opportunity to reset the ministry. I believe this has impacted our children’s faith journey in a big way.”

Moore’s church has refocused on community and how to make it more prominent for families and children. The principles come from Flip the Script, a resource from Lifeway Christian Resources NextGen director Chuck Peters.

“It stands for Friends, Leaders, Influencers and Pastors,” she said. “These are the main influences on if kids stay in church. If they have a friend—and if their parents have friends at the church—they will be more likely to come and get plugged in.”

The rest of the acronym brings home the importance of community, Peters said.

“Coming out of the pandemic, we did a study with Lifeway Research in partnership to learn about the specific needs of Gen Z and Gen Alpha from a cultural standpoint,” he said. “Their worldview is fundamentally different.

“The millennials are the first generation in North America where less than half identify as Christian or attend church regularly. It continues to decline among generations. Gen Z is the first where the majority are not Christian but have a secular viewpoint.”

The result is a generation that no longer has a “cultural gauge” for determining what is good, or right from wrong, he added.

Peters has been in his role at Lifeway for 11 years and in children’s ministry for 16 years. His anecdotal observation is many adults have put the mental health effects of the pandemic behind them. For those children who endured it in their formative years, though, the memories and impact linger.

It’s a generation that has experienced “toxic stress and trauma” while becoming more connected than ever, digitally speaking, he said. The church must be ready to help them.

Every child and every student needs an advocate in the church who isn’t their parent, an adult who genuinely cares for them. That adult helps instill and model a biblical worldview. Introduce them to a personal relationship with Christ while modeling it.

“It’s not enough to know about Jesus. We have to know him personally and relationally for a generation longing for relationship,” he said. “Give them the gospel. Be a leader that loves them and gives them a biblical worldview.”