Covid: Some parents have found 'positives' in lockdown

Lockdown may have caused some parents to worry about their children's development but for others it brought "positives", an expert has said.

Dr Abigail Wright said social exclusion caused by lockdown could lead to "heightened awareness" of its impact.

Some parents said their children had "missed out" on key experiences but others said theirs thrived.

A report suggested some small children had struggled with their language skills over the last year.

South Wales educational psychologist Dr Wright, who specialises in early years, said parents should exercise "caution" in interpreting how their child has coped.

"A lot of people will have found it to be an understandably challenging time, but other people will have found positives within that, and had very different experiences," Dr Wright said.

While there had been fewer opportunities, she said, this may not necessarily be a bad thing.

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But it was important families sought advice and support if they needed it.

Dr Wright said: "There is a misconception that social skills can only be developed outside of the home, in social environments, with other peers or other people, that it's not something that we as parents can promote in the same way.

"I would like to offer reassurance to parents and carers that actually the communication, interactions and engagement that we're having with our children at home, is actually probably one of the most important things that we can do."

Dr Abigail Wright said some parents had "found positives" in lockdown

She said the pandemic had highlighted already present inequalities.

Sammie Bond, who is mum to one-year-old Eos and two-and-half-year old Cadno, said she had been worried about lockdown's impact on her youngest.

Ms Bond, of Swansea, said: "She was so small, I was quite nervous, I haven't really taken her indoors a lot and she's never been to soft play she doesn't know that life at all.

"She will develop, and she will completely forget this, or she's never made a memory of it yet.

"It will be fine, it'll just be a distant memory for us of her first year."

Mum Sammie Bond said the confidence of son Cadno had "blossomed"

It made her sad her daughter had missed out on things but Ms Bond said there had been positives to lockdown for son Cadno, who had previously struggled with attachment issues.

"We made a sort of a community for him," she said.

"I feel like his confidence has blossomed so much because all of a sudden he had that, that he needed."

'Is this normal?'

Some parents could not meet friends so turned to technology for help.

Mum of six-month-old Owen, Rebecca Gardinville, said it was hard not to compare your child to others.

"You worry about everything," said Ms Gardinville, from Caerphilly.

"You take photos of everything and wonder, is this normal? You ask your friends but you don't want to be a burden either.

"I think he's developing well, you try and gauge it.

"There are loads of apps out there, and it's like, is this what he is supposed to be doing?

"And you think, OK, well he's done that before - but he's not even tried doing this yet, should I be doing anything differently?

"At the end of the day, they develop at their own speed."

Rebecca Gardinville, pictured with son Owen, said "you worry about everything"

Dr Wright said apps had their place but advised caution.

She said: "They can be helpful for parents to understand where a child could be expected to be at - but (expected) is the key word.

"I do think there is a risk of producing anxiety in parents."

• For more on this story watch Wales Live tonight on BBC1 Wales at 22:35 BST.