YMCA Family Wellness Survey Results
2020 was a year unlike any other in living memory. As an organisation whose purpose it is to build strong kids, families, and communities, we wanted to find out more about how the year and the lockdowns had impacted our families.
In the first edition of Arohanui we included a survey asking parents about their experiences during last year – thank you to everyone who completed this.
The survey shared some really sad stories. We heard about children who became worried to leave the house after so long at home, tantrums, boredom, and fear of change.
We also heard that half of the parents surveyed believed that physical activity had an impact on their children’s anxiety levels.
The Y has a long history of both caring for children and giving opportunities for sports and recreation within our programmes.
Kristina Ineson, Regional Manager for out of school care and recreation (OSCAR) for YMCA North, shares her top tips for supporting kid’s anxiety during tough times:
- Make it fun! Kids respond best to play-based activities
- You don’t have to have fancy equipment at home – hopscotch, soccer from rolled-up socks, elastics are all easy and accessible for families
- Kids pick up on their parent’s worries – giving yourself a brain break and getting the family moving will benefit everyone.
Find out more by watching Kristina’s interview with the AM show.