Skip to main content
Open Book Publishers

9. Parents’ Perspectives on Their Children’s Play and Friendships during the Covid-19 Pandemic in England

  • Caron Carter (author)
Chapter of: Play in a Covid Frame: Everyday Pandemic Creativity in a Time of Isolation(pp. 191–214)

Export Metadata

  • ONIX 3.0
    • Thoth
    • Project MUSE
      Cannot generate record: No BIC or BISAC subject code
    • OAPEN
    • JSTOR
      Cannot generate record: No BISAC subject code
    • Google Books
      Cannot generate record: No BIC, BISAC or LCC subject code
    • OverDrive
      Cannot generate record: No priced EPUB or PDF URL
  • ONIX 2.1
  • CSV
  • JSON
  • OCLC KBART
  • BibTeX
  • CrossRef DOI deposit
    Cannot generate record: This work does not have any ISBNs
  • MARC 21 Record
    Cannot generate record: MARC records are not available for chapters
  • MARC 21 Markup
    Cannot generate record: MARC records are not available for chapters
  • MARC 21 XML
    Cannot generate record: MARC records are not available for chapters
Metadata
Title9. Parents’ Perspectives on Their Children’s Play and Friendships during the Covid-19 Pandemic in England
ContributorCaron Carter (author)
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0326.09
Landing pagehttps://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0326/chapters/10.11647/obp.0326.09
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
CopyrightCarter, Caron;
PublisherOpen Book Publishers
Published on2023-06-01
Long abstractThe importance and value of children’s play and friendships in education is now becoming widely recognized as being important to children’s well-being, learning and development. The value of this friendship was magnified when the Covid-19 pandemic temporarily ceased or limited the opportunities for children to socially interact and play with their friends. In March 2020 schools closed and were only open to key worker or vulnerable children. The lack of access to play and social interaction for children is contrary to the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 15 (freedom of association), that states children should have the right to play with other children, form friendships and join organizations. This chapter explores the views and perceptions of parents on the absence of play and friendship for their children. A pilot case study approach was adopted involving five parents. Data were collected through semi-structured online interviews via Zoom, reflection and fieldnotes. Findings provide new insights into strategies used by children and families to find alternative ways to play and interact with peers. These include the use of video messages, Zoom games, doorstep visits and play with siblings. The chapter argues for consideration of this knowledge as children attempt to move forward in ‘new times’ and in respect of similar traumatic events in the future.
Page rangepp. 191–214
Print length24 pages
LanguageEnglish (Original)
Keywords
  • play
  • friendships
  • education
  • well-being
  • learning
  • development
  • Covid-19 pandemic
  • schools
  • United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
  • Article 15
  • freedom of association
  • parents' perceptions
  • absence of play
  • absence of friendship
  • pilot case study
  • online interviews
  • Zoom
  • reflection
  • fieldnotes
  • strategies
  • alternative ways to play
  • interact with peers
  • video messages
  • Zoom games
  • doorstep visits
  • play with siblings
  • moving forward
  • new times
  • traumatic events
  • future considerations
Contributors

Caron Carter

(author)
lecturer in early childhood and childhood education at Sheffield Hallam University

Caron Carter is senior lecturer in early childhood and childhood education at Sheffield Institute of Education, Sheffield Hallam University with a PhD from the University of Sheffield and a National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH). Prior to joining Sheffield Hallam University, Caron was an early years teacher in a nursery infant school and a primary school for eleven years, five years as a deputy headteacher. Caron is currently researching how schools are supporting children’s friendships and wellbeing during the ‘new normal’. She is part of a team from her university working on funded projects focusing upon improving outcomes for children in specific areas including, friendship, wellbeing, play and transitions. Finally, Caron is also a postgraduate research tutor in education at Sheffield Hallam University and an assistant editor for the International Journal of Pastoral Care in Education.

References
  1. Achtaridou, Elpida, et al. 2022. School Recovery Strategies: Year 1 Findings (London: Department for Education)
  2. Bagwell, Catherine L., and Michelle E. Schmidt. 2011. Friendships in Childhood and Adolescence (New York: Guilford)
  3. Bath, Caroline. 2009. Learning to Belong: Exploring Young Children’s Participation at the Start of School (London: Routledge)
  4. Berndt, Thomas. J., and Keunho Keefe. 1995. ‘Friends’ Influence on Adolescents’ Adjustment to School’, Child Development, 66: 1312–329, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1995.tb00937.x
  5. Braun, Virginia, and Victoria Clarke. 2006. ‘Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology’, Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3: 77–101, https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
  6. ——. 2019. ‘Reflecting on Reflexive Thematic Analysis’, Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 11: 589–97, https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806
  7. ——. 2022. Thematic Analysis: A Practical Guide (London: SAGE)
  8. Carter, Caron. 2021. ‘Navigating Young Children’s Friendship Selection: Implications for Practice’, International Journal of Early Years Education, https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2021.1892600
  9. ——. 2022a. ‘Supporting Young Children’s Friendships: The Facilitating Role of the Lunchtime Welfare Supervisor’, Pastoral Care in Education, 1-20, https://doi.org/10.1080/02643944.2022.2054023
  10. ——. 2022b. ‘What Is the Biggest Challenge Facing Pastoral Care in Education Today and How Can This Challenge Be Effectively Addressed? The Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Children’s Well-being’, Pastoral Care in Education, 40: 279-86, https://doi.org/10.1080/02643944.2022.2093960
  11. Carter, Caron, Ruth Barley, and Arwa Omar. 2023 ‘I wish that COVID would disappear, and we’d all be together’: Maintaining Children’s Friendships during the Covid-19 Pandemic’, unpublished paper presented at the ‘Children and Childhoods’ conference, University of Suffolk, 12-13 July
  12. Carter, Caron, and Cathy Nutbrown. 2016. ‘A Pedagogy of Friendship: Young Children’s Friendships and How Schools Can Support them’, International Journal of Early Years Education, 24: 395–413, https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2016.1189813
  13. Chan, Alessandra, and François Poulin. 2007. ‘Monthly Changes in the Composition of Friendship Networks in Early Adolescence’, Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 53: 578-602, https://www.jstor.org/stable/23096155
  14. Coelho, Leandra, et al. 2017. ‘Quality of Play, Social Acceptance and Reciprocal Friendship in Preschool Children’, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 25: 812-23, https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2017.1380879
  15. Daniels, Tina, et al. 2010. ‘My best friend always did and still does betray me constantly’: Examining Relational and Physical Victimization within a Dyadic Friendship Context’, Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 25: 70-83
  16. Department for Education (DFE). 2020. Actions for Schools during the Coronavirus Outbreak, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak
  17. Dunn, Judy. 2004. Children’s Friendships: The Beginnings of Intimacy (Oxford: Blackwell)
  18. Dunn, Judy, and Alexandra L. Cutting. 1999. ‘Understanding Others, and Individual Differences in Friendship Interactions in Young Children’, Social Development, 8, 201–19
  19. Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). 2022. Moving Forwards, Making a Difference: A Planning Guide for Schools 2022-23, https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/support-for-schools/school-planning-support
  20. Egan, Suzanne. M., et al. 2021. ‘Missing Early Education and Care during the Pandemic: The Socio-Emotional Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis on Young Children’, Early Childhood Education Journal, 49: 925-34, https://
  21. Engle, Jennifer. M., Nancy. L. McElwain, and Nicole Lasky. 2011. ‘Presence and Quality of Kindergarten Children’s Friendships: Concurrent and Longitudinal Associations with Child Adjustment in the Early School Years’, Infant and Child Development, 20: 365–86, https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.706
  22. Engdahl, Ingrid. 2012. ‘Doing Friendship during the Second Year of Life in a Swedish Preschool’, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 20: 83–98, https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2012.650013
  23. Fattore, Tobia, Jan Mason, and Elizabeth Watson. 2016. Children’s Understandings of Well-being: Towards a Child Standpoint, Children’s Well-Being: Indicators and Research, 14 (Dordrecht: Springer)
  24. Fujisawa, Keiko. K., Nobuyuki Kutsukake, and Toshikazu Hasegawa. 2008. ‘Reciprocity of Prosocial Behavior in Japanese Preschool Children’, International Journal of Behavioral Development, 32: 89–97, https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025407084055
  25. Gifford-Smith, Mary. E., and Celia A. Brownell. 2003. ‘Childhood Peer Relationships: Social Acceptance, Friendships, and Peer Networks’, Journal of School Psychology, 41: 235–84, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-4405(03)00048-7
  26. Goldschmidt, Karen. 2020. ‘The COVID-19 Pandemic: Technology Use to Support the Wellbeing of Children’, Journal of Paediatric Nursing, 53: 88–90, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2020.04.013
  27. Hedges, Helen, and Maria Cooper. 2017. ‘Collaborative Meaning-making Using Video Footage: Teachers and Researchers Analyse Children’s Working Theories about Friendship’, European Early Childhood Educational Research Journal, 25: 398-411, https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2016.1252153
  28. Hollingsworth, Heidi. L., and Virginia Buysse. 2009. ‘Establishing Friendships in Early Childhood Inclusive Settings: What Roles Do Parents and Teachers Play?’, Journal of Early Intervention, 31: 287–307, https://doi.org/10.1177/1053815109352659
  29. Kragh-Müller, Grethe, and Rebecca Isbell. 2010. ‘Children’s Perspectives on Their Everyday Lives in Child Care in Two Cultures: Denmark and the United States’, Early Childhood Education Journal, 39: 17–27 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-010-0434-9
  30. Ladd, Gary W. 1990. ‘Having Friends, Keeping Friends, Making Friends, and Being Liked by Peers in the Classroom: Predictors of Children’s Early School Adjustment?’ Child Development, 61: 1081-100, https://doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.1990.tb02843.x
  31. Laursen, Brett. 2017. ‘Making and Keeping Friends: The Importance of Being Similar’, Child Development Perspectives, 11: 282–89, https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.1224
  32. Larivière‐Bastien, Danaë, et al. 2022. Children’s Perspectives on Friendships and Socialization during the COVID‐19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Approach’, Child: Care, Health and Development, 48: 1017-030, https://
  33. Loades, Maria. E., et al. 2020. ‘Rapid Systematic Review: The Impact of Social Isolation and Loneliness on the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents in the Context of COVID-19’, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 59: 1218–239, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2020.05.009
  34. Lomax, Helen, et al. 2022. ‘Creating Online Participatory Research Spaces: Insights from Creative, Digitally Mediated Research with Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic’, Families, Relationships and Societies, 11: 19-37, https://
  35. Lundie, David, and Jeremy Law. 2020. Teachers’ Responses and Expectations in the COVID-19 School Shutdown Period in the UK (Glasgow: University of Glasgow)
  36. Murray, Elizabeth, and Linda J. Harrison. 2005. ‘Children’s Perspectives on Their First Year of School: Introducing a New Pictorial Measure of School Stress’, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 13: 111–27, https://doi.org/10.1080/13502930585209591
  37. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 2020. Combatting Covid-19’s Effect on Children, https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/combatting-covid-19-s-effect-on-children-2e1f3b2f/
  38. O’Toole, Catriona, and Venka Simovska. 2021. ‘Same Storm, Different Boats! The Impact of COVID-19 on the Wellbeing of School Communities’, Health Education, 122: 47-61, https://doi.org/10.1108/HE-02-2021-0027
  39. Pascal, Chris, et al. 2020. COVID-19 and Social Mobility Impact Brief #4: Early Years. Research Brief (The Sutton Trust), https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/35885/1/Early-Years-Impact-Brief.pdf
  40. Peters, Sally. 2003. ‘“I Didn’t Expect that I Would Get Tons of Friends More Each Day”: Children’s Experiences of Friendship during the Transition to School’, Early Years, 23: 45-53, https://doi.org/10.1080/0957514032000045564
  41. Rider, Elizabeth A., et al. 2021. ‘Mental Health and Wellbeing of Children and Adolescents during the Covid-19 Pandemic’, BMJ, 374: 1730, https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n1730
  42. Rubin, Kenneth H., et al. 2005. ‘Peer Relationships Childhood’, in Developmental Science: An Advanced Textbook, 5th edn, ed. by Marc H. Bornstein and Michael E. Lamb (New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates), pp. 469-512
  43. Salmons, Janet. 2014. Qualitative Online Interviews: Strategies, Design, and Skills, 2nd edn (London: SAGE)
  44. Streelasky, Jodi. 2017. ‘Tanzanian and Canadian Children’s Valued School Experiences: A Cross Case Comparison’, International Journal of Early Years Education, 25: 274–91, https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2017.1352491
  45. UNICEF. 2011. The State of the World’s Children (New York: United Nations Children’s Fund)
  46. United Nations. 1989. Convention on the Rights of the Child, https://www.unicef.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/unicef-convention-rights-child-uncrc.pdf
  47. ——. 2020. Policy Brief: The Impact of Covid-19 on Children (New York: United Nations), https://unsdg.un.org/resources/policy-brief-impact-covid-19-children
  48. Yin, Robert K. 2018. Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods, 6th edn (Los Angeles: SAGE)
  49. Ziauddeen, Nida, et al. 2020. ‘Schools and COVID-19: Reopening Pandora’s Box?’, Public Health in Practice, 1, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhip.2020.100039