Religious Education Children’s Discussions of COVID Questions

March 2021*

Using the adult COVID-19 Pandemic Journal questions from the history committee as a basis, Stacy Sceiford, director of religious education at MMUUS, developed several pandemic-related questions that would be appropriate for the children in RE:

1. How has your life been different this past year living through a pandemic?
2. It’s normal to have a lot of different feelings about the pandemic. Some people feel happy, sad, angry, or scared—or all of those! Are there things that have made you feel happy, sad, angry or scared this year? Would you be willing to share about it?
3. What are you most looking forward to when COVID-19 is under control and we don’t have to social distance anymore?
4. What has been the hardest thing for you to deal with during the pandemic?
5. What would you want future generations to know about your experience living through a pandemic? or What advice do you have for future generations about living through a pandemic?

Stacy Sceiford (DRE) engaged the children in conversations about the COVID pandemic on two consecutive Sundays in March of 2021 (7th and 14th). The conversations were integrated into the chapel portion of the RE classes being held via Zoom. Members of the history committee (Mary Louise Edwards and Kent Lindstrom) gave a brief description of the COVID diary project and explained why they wanted to hear from the children, but they did not participate in the discussions. Due to privacy concerns, the sessions were not recorded. Rather, the history committee observers took notes, and Stacy gave them her transcriptions of the children’s responses. Altogether 18 children between the ages of five and 11 participated in discussing the COVID questions. Some children were present for just one of the conversations. Two young adult RE volunteers also made comments in the first session.

*Although COVID-19 vaccines were available for adults by the time of these conversations, vaccines would not be available for children under 12 for several more months (November 2021).

RE Children’s Responses to Pandemic Journal Questions

To protect their privacy, the children are identified by age and order of participation rather than by name. For example, 7a indicates that the child is seven years old and was the first 7-year-old to join the conversation. 7c would be the third 7-year-old to participate.

DRE: Great, thank you so much… So, we get a chance to be part of history. I do have a couple of questions. …Think about that—in 100 years there are going to be kids in our congregation wondering what it was like to be living during the time we’re in now. So, the first question we’re thinking about is:

Q1. How has your life been different this past year, living through COVID, living through a pandemic. If you think about it, a year ago we just started needing to think about a pandemic, what changed for you? Is anything different about how you live your life?

10a: Um, my life has been different this past year because, I have to do online school and I’ve never done that before. I’ve never used Zoom before, and I didn’t know what it was like. And I thought I might lose contact with my friends. And I didn’t know if I was doing good in school. And when it got better my life got a little bit more complicated because a vaccine came out, but it was only for kids 16 or older and I wondered how the pandemic was going to end. My life changed that way because lots of people are still not wearing masks and I’m wondering how long this will keep going.

5a: I don’t get to go to many places.

7a: I just really have one question and one thing I wanted to say. Why do we have to take shots? I do not like shots. I hate shots.

6a: We have to wear masks, we have to stay 6 feet, and we have to do May on Zoom, and one time my class went remote, actually two times and for a few weeks or something and…

DRE: So, only a couple of times you had to go remote and couldn’t go to your school building?

6a: Yeah, and (unintelligible) online learning.

DRE: Yes, a lot of kids are doing online learning this year; that definitely was something that changed.

11a: I kinda wanted to talk about—like, cause—COVID school has been different. And not just because of COVID. My school, it has construction on it, so it’s all a little different, too; so, like we’re in modulars and stuff. But at my school we have this hybrid plan, um, basically for me I’m in cohort B, and on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday I’m online. And Thursday, Friday, I go in person. And Wednesdays it’s online for everyone. It’s basically like, um, last year it was kind of independent work and Wednesdays are like that. So, um, yeah, it’s been different, but online learning is, it’s okay ‘cause I go to my friend’s and she comes to my house on Mondays and Tuesdays. So it’s nice to work with her and stuff.

DRE: Thank you for sharing. Yeah, I was just thinking how amazing it is that we have access to online school during this pandemic, because … this kind of thing was not going on 100 years ago. I wonder how they did school 100 years ago during a pandemic.

10b: I don’t get to see my friends and extended family as often, and if I do, we have no physical contact, are outside, and wearing masks. Online school has been greatly reducing social time in school. I also feel like there are many problems branching off of the pandemic, including riots. This increases my stress level. It’s difficult to find things to do as well, which causes boredom.

DRE: There are a lot of big things going on, and you really nailed a few of the different problems that I think people have been experiencing during this time. And that leads into our next question for today, and that has to do with feelings.

Q2. It’s normal to have a lot of different feelings about the pandemic. Some people feel happy because they get to stay home more. Some people feel sad, or angry, or scared, or all of those, and it might change from day to day. Are there things that made you feel happy, sad, angry or scared this year and would you be willing to share about it? Anybody have any of those big feelings that you would be willing to share about?

9a: I’m happy that I still get to go to school in person.

6b: I’m happy that I still get to go to school in person and that I still got to celebrate my sister and my dad’s birthday.

6a: I’m feeling good because you get free ice cream and free lunch and free breakfast because the school’s really nice.

DRE: Yeah, I think that that’s a new thing this year, too. Most of the schools are giving out free breakfasts and lunches to make sure that kids who need food are getting food. And it must be fun if you are getting free ice cream. Is that every day? 6a: Yeah. DRE: Oh my gosh, I’m jealous. 6a: Well, not exactly every day, but on Fridays, but it’s still good. And we get to watch a movie during lunch. And I’m happy that I got new friends!

5b: I like that I can still go to my school, and I get ice cream.

DRE: You get ice cream too? Who would have thought?

10c: I’m sad and happy. I’m sad because I do not get to see my friends a lot. And I’m happy because this pandemic could be much worse, and I get access to online school.

10b: Happy: more time with family. Sad: Less time with friends. Angry: people aren’t wearing masks. Anxious: possibility of getting COVID anywhere I go.

DRE: Those are all some very valid big feelings, too. Thank you for sharing that.

10a: I was nervous earlier in the year because my Aunt X and my Aunt Z both got COVID and I was most worried about my Aunt Z because she’s, I think she’s in her 70s or her 60s and she’s like in the group that could die if they got COVID. But they both survived and I was happy about that.

Young Adult Volunteers: a: Well, I’ll say that I definitely agree with the boredom that was mentioned. b: That’s a primary emotion around here. a: I am so glad, like this is weird to say, but I’m glad I’m an essential worker, or I’m pretty sure I would be so bored. It’s definitely hard to find things to do or I find myself doing the same things every day.

Q3. What are you most looking forward to when the COVID-19 pandemic is under control and we can stop social distancing:

5a: Going to Disney World with my family and cousins.

9a: I’m looking forward to not having to wear masks and to being able to see more of my friends.

5b: Going to my grandma and grandpa.

9b: Going to the pool.

8a: I want to go to… I’m looking forward to going to Thunder Island and Enchanted Forest Water Safari.

11b: I’m looking forward to having birthday parties again and traveling the world.

10b: I’m looking forward to being able to see my friends and extended family more and being able to travel far and to other places in the country or out of the country.

7a: To have playdates with my classmate and also …my friend Jonah

7b: When the pandemic is under control, my family will pretty much travel around the world because that’s what my mom really wants to do. DRE: Is that something you are looking forward to? 7b: Yeah, with my mom.

10a: When the pandemic is over, I’m looking forward to going to Louisiana to see my Aunt X. I’m looking forward to seeing my Aunt Y, Aunt Z, and all my other family. And I’m looking forward to doing all the things I do without a mask when COVID is over.

6b: Being able to go to my cousins’ house for holidays.

7c: I’m looking forward to seeing my friends more and more.

Q4. What has been the hardest thing for you to deal with during the pandemic?

10b: Really, I can’t say one single hardest thing because it’s all just like everything combined.

9a: Not being able to see my friends that much.

7c: Not being able to see my friends.

8a: Wearing a mask.

10a: The hardest thing has been everything changing. I’ve gotten the hang of the changes at school but everywhere else I’m not used to the changes. It feels like everything has been the hardest now that COVID is here.

9b: Not going anywhere and having to stay in the house. But my dog likes it… because she doesn’t have to stay in her crate all day.

11b: The hardest thing for me has been not seeing my friends. Other than that I’m fine.

Q5. What advice do you have for kids if another pandemic happens in the future?

7d: I would give them the advice to stay home.

10d: Wear a mask.

10b: Wear a mask and stay safe and just hold out hope that this will end because it will.

11b: Stay safe and don’t panic because it will all be over before you know it…

10c: If you are one of the people that really wants to see your friends you can schedule zoom to talk to them.

9a: Wear a mask.

10a: Wear a mask, stay safe. Stay at home and do zoom.

7e: I think you should stay home.