The Reflection of The COVID-19 “Stay At Home” Process on Preschool Children's Daily Lives According to Mother's Opinions

Abstract

This study aims to examine the reflections of the COVID-19 “stay at home” period on the daily lives of children according to the mothers’ views. The study group consists of 137 children (n= 70 girls, n= 67 boys) selected among the 5-year-old children attending preschool education in Bayburt and indicating normal development characteristics along with their mothers. An Online Survey Form developed by the researchers was used in the study. The study was carried out with a scanning model. The data obtained were analyzed by descriptive analysis method. Among the findings of the study, it was determined that 86.9% of the children asked questions about COVID-19 and 37.8% of the mothers felt sufficient in answering the questions asked by the children. In addition, it was determined that 61.3% of the children had a disrupted sleep pattern and 40.1% had a disrupted diet during this period. It was determined that children gave negative reactions to the curfew such as feeling sad, depressed, bored, afraid and angry along with positive reactions such as comprehending and adapting. Besides these reactions, some children reacted variously while some did not even react. It was analyzed that 119 of the mothers bought books, toys and materials for their children during this period. Of 204 kinds of materials bought by those 119 mothers, 95 were books of which 48 were storybooks. 73% of children learned about the COVID-19 pandemic from their parents. 72.3% of the mothers did not find distance learning sufficient during the COVID-19 pandemic. 73.0% of the mothers had difficulties in various issues (lack of infrastructure, concentration of children, doing activities etc.) related to distance learning. 92.0% of the mothers tried to find alternative ways to meet the need for movement of their children.