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Young children of employed parents or carers experienced a “small but significant” improvement in their behaviour during the coronavirus lockdown, a study has found.
According to psychologists working on the Co-Spyce study, their concentration improved and they had fewer tantrums.
Researchers from the Universities of Reading, Oxford and Southampton asked 972 families with children aged two to five to monitor changes in their emotions, disobedience, attention span and other behaviours over one month between April and July.
Around 15 per cent of the parents and carers in the sample reported that they were unemployed, and this group did not report a reduction in their child’s behaviour or attention problems.
On average, children showed improvements in their attention, but very little change in their emotions or behaviour.
Boys showed significant improvements in their behaviour and attention, while girls did not.
1/29
People wearing PPE sit on bench’s at Earl’s Court Station
Reuters
2/29
Worlds End Nurseries in Chelsea opens for business. Customer Nika Kucifer is shown flowers by Janson Lotery
Nigel Howard
3/29
Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressing the nation about coronavirus (COVID-19) from 10 Downing Street, London.
PA
4/29
Coronavirus Covid-19 Colour Coded Alert System
5/29
A sign is pictured explaining that the road has been narrowed to aid social distancing when using Camden High Street
AFP via Getty Images
6/29
Commuters on the Jubilee line
Nigel Howard
7/29
Phil Spencer, Cheshire coach of the year 2019 photographed in action at the Bowdon Lawn Tennis Club coaching 9-year-old club member Gigi Welch on the first day the prime minister is allowing family members to enjoy unlimited outdoor activities and various sports played with social distancing on May 13, 2020 in Bowdon
Getty Images
8/29
A golfer plays the first hole while wearing a face mask at West Essex Golf Course
Getty Images
9/29
Pedestrians and cyclists make their way across London Bridge following prime minister Boris Johnson’s advice for people to return work if possible but not use public transport.
Daniel Hambury
10/29
Two men wear face masks on the London Underground Jubilee line
PA
11/29
Key workers in Birmingham city centre, as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus
PA
12/29
Coronavirus-themed street art by mural artist and illustrator KMG in Camden
PA
13/29
Traffic is seen on the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour near Heathrow Airport i
AFP via Getty Images
14/29
A member of staff take a trolley from customers for disinfection at a garden centre in Caerphilly, Wales, as minor changes to lockdown restriction begin across Wales
PA
15/29
Commuters on the Jubilee line
Nigel Howard
16/29
A woman wearing a protective face mask and gloves is seen walking past a mural,
Reuters
17/29
Pedestrians pass heavy traffic passing over Tower Bridge in London,
PA
18/29
Commuters wait to board a train at Canning Town underground
PA
19/29
A satellite image shows Trafalgar Square in London
via Reuters
20/29
A member of staff hands over a coffee from behind a plastic protective screen at a branch of Pret a Manger in central London
PA
21/29
A general view of Old Compton Brasserie in an empty Soho
Daniel Hambury
22/29
Cyclists exercise in The Meadows in Edinburgh as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus
PA
23/29
A general view of Gerrard Street in an empty Soho
Daniel Hambury
24/29
A man wearing a protective face mask is seen at Westminster tube station,
Reuters
25/29
Workers carry a pane of glass on a construction site near Guildford
AFP via Getty Images
26/29
Commuters wearing PPE (personal protective equipment), including a face mask as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, wait to catch a red London bus in the morning rush hour
AFP via Getty Images
27/29
Traffic crosses Waterloo Bridge
PA
28/29
Pedestrians and cyclists make their way across London Bridge
Daniel Hambury
29/29
Commuters on the Jubilee line
Nigel Howard
1/29
People wearing PPE sit on bench’s at Earl’s Court Station
Reuters
2/29
Worlds End Nurseries in Chelsea opens for business. Customer Nika Kucifer is shown flowers by Janson Lotery
Nigel Howard
3/29
Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressing the nation about coronavirus (COVID-19) from 10 Downing Street, London.
PA
4/29
Coronavirus Covid-19 Colour Coded Alert System
5/29
A sign is pictured explaining that the road has been narrowed to aid social distancing when using Camden High Street
AFP via Getty Images
6/29
Commuters on the Jubilee line
Nigel Howard
7/29
Phil Spencer, Cheshire coach of the year 2019 photographed in action at the Bowdon Lawn Tennis Club coaching 9-year-old club member Gigi Welch on the first day the prime minister is allowing family members to enjoy unlimited outdoor activities and various sports played with social distancing on May 13, 2020 in Bowdon
Getty Images
8/29
A golfer plays the first hole while wearing a face mask at West Essex Golf Course
Getty Images
9/29
Pedestrians and cyclists make their way across London Bridge following prime minister Boris Johnson’s advice for people to return work if possible but not use public transport.
Daniel Hambury
10/29
Two men wear face masks on the London Underground Jubilee line
PA
11/29
Key workers in Birmingham city centre, as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus
PA
12/29
Coronavirus-themed street art by mural artist and illustrator KMG in Camden
PA
13/29
Traffic is seen on the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour near Heathrow Airport i
AFP via Getty Images
14/29
A member of staff take a trolley from customers for disinfection at a garden centre in Caerphilly, Wales, as minor changes to lockdown restriction begin across Wales
PA
15/29
Commuters on the Jubilee line
Nigel Howard
16/29
A woman wearing a protective face mask and gloves is seen walking past a mural,
Reuters
17/29
Pedestrians pass heavy traffic passing over Tower Bridge in London,
PA
18/29
Commuters wait to board a train at Canning Town underground
PA
19/29
A satellite image shows Trafalgar Square in London
via Reuters
20/29
A member of staff hands over a coffee from behind a plastic protective screen at a branch of Pret a Manger in central London
PA
21/29
A general view of Old Compton Brasserie in an empty Soho
Daniel Hambury
22/29
Cyclists exercise in The Meadows in Edinburgh as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus
PA
23/29
A general view of Gerrard Street in an empty Soho
Daniel Hambury
24/29
A man wearing a protective face mask is seen at Westminster tube station,
Reuters
25/29
Workers carry a pane of glass on a construction site near Guildford
AFP via Getty Images
26/29
Commuters wearing PPE (personal protective equipment), including a face mask as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, wait to catch a red London bus in the morning rush hour
AFP via Getty Images
27/29
Traffic crosses Waterloo Bridge
PA
28/29
Pedestrians and cyclists make their way across London Bridge
Daniel Hambury
29/29
Commuters on the Jubilee line
Nigel Howard
There was very little difference between children in households with higher and lower incomes, and between those in families of different ethnicities.
Overall, the changes were subtle, suggesting the children remained relatively stable during the month.
Professor Helen Dodd, a child psychologist at the University of Reading, said the results suggest children are more resilient during times of stress than sometimes thought.
She added that it was “surprising, perhaps” that the biggest reduction in attention and behavioural problems was seen in children with working parents or carers.
“We hear a lot about the potential negative impact the lockdown may have had on young children while they could not go to school or nursery, but this study shows that, at least in some respects, things may not have been as bad as expected,” she said.
“One possible explanation is that children benefited from having more time at home with their parents and carers. Even when it doesn’t feel like ‘quality time’ to the parents, it may benefit their children.”
She continuned: “An alternative explanation is that many of the daily pressures put on young children to conform to adult-led schedules were removed during lockdown, leading to fewer perceived behavioural and attention problems.
“Any parent who has tried to get a young child into their shoes and out of the door on time in the morning will know this is a challenging point in the day.”