Totnes, the Devon town that I grew up in, is in the papers. The last few times it has hit the news it has been for refusing to allow chain cafes to join the High Street, or for painting a pedestrian crossing in rainbow colours for Pride. Sadly this time the news is not about the fantastic local cafes, or even the weird Elizabethan market on Tuesdays, but the high proportion of people who are anti-vaxx and think covid is a conspiracy theory.
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It’s hard to know exactly how we’re going to come out of lockdown, despite the rumours and the guesses. It’s certainly a complex challenge to negotiate, but in the midst of this dilemma a group of several experts from education, child development, psychology, and child psychiatry are trying to make sure that children’s wellbeing is put front and centre.
The group’s initiative is called Play First, and they want to make sure that children’s need to play is prioritised as much as their need to catch up academically, as they return to school. They’ve written a letter to MP Gavin Williamson with some practical advice on how to achieve this safely (like children taking turns to play in small groups) along with a clear summary of the evidence that their views are based on.
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We’re in such an odd time now, with frightening things unfolding at the same time that other things feel nearly normal.
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Psychology magpie 