‘How the lockdown has affected my life?’

Amid the never-seen-before crisis, kids and their parents are adapting to the new norm of virtual education as schools remain shut.The Tribune asked its student readers to express how they have been dealing with the pandemic situation. Here is what they say:

‘Miss playing sports but happy to be with family’

The global Covid-19 pandemic unexpectedly entered our lives and put everything to a halt. It affected the lives of people around the world bringing a flood of tension and worries followed by negative thoughts and piles of boredom. But I took it as a challenge to handle this situation with determination and positivity thereby taking advantage of the lockdown. My parents motivated me to complete this challenge.

The lockdown has affected my life quite disturbingly. My first priority, Taekwondo Federation of India National-Level Championship, scheduled in March got postponed. I desperately wanted to win a national gold medal in taekwondo for the second time. Another high valued South Asian Cup Martial Arts Championship in Nepal that was due in Feb-March 2020 also got delayed. I was really looking forward to more tournaments in 2020. But my coaches have not let my fitness get off the track as I am enjoying virtual classes.

On the other hand, I also had the best experience of my life by participating in online classes, wherein I also got to clarify my doubts. I learned a new way to give exams online but also I miss talking to and playing with my friends. My birthday falls in March so I was planning to have a huge celebration at my grandparent's house and enjoy a long holiday before the next session. But who knew that this would not become a reality due to Covid-19. All elders have assured me of a grand party after the pandemic situation gets over.

I often miss visiting a local temple and other such holy places. I learnt to maintain proper cleaning and hygiene and also urged everyone to follow the same. In this situation I, along with my family, tried our best to follow the guidelines issued by the government thus taking full precautionary measures.

The best outcome of this situation has been that the virus has made us aware of valuing food, water, fruits and other essential items along with benefits of yoga and exercises followed by intake of herbs and healthy food. It has also taught us the importance of spending times with one's family and exploring ourselves. I am happy to get some more time to follow my hobby of reading books and to learn new things like Vedic maths along with co-curricular activities via online platforms. I pray to God that soon the day comes when we get the news that there are no more any coronavirus cases in the world.

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'Homebound yet connected with everyone'

We all know that the Covid pandemic is a global crisis and everybody is struggling with health as well as financial issues. We students are also stuck at home and cannot go anywhere. But still we are connected with our teachers and classmates through online classes.

The good thing is that now there is no tension to wake up early in the morning and we can ne up late at night. I spend maximum time with my mom as she always encourages me to do new things. I also spend time in painting, dancing, cycling and playing games. But I also miss my school days too. I'm eagerly waiting to meet my friends and teachers after this lockdown is over. I pray to God that everything becomes normal like before the Covid epidemic happened.

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‘Can’t wait till school reopens’

Due to Covid19 not only mine but lives of all have been affected. Everyone has come under lockdown. Before this, kids used to get up early, wear school uniform and go to school. Teachers taught lessons in classrooms. But now, online classes have set a new educational trend. We are attending classes from homes on our mobiles and laptops. Teachers making extra efforts to teach in this situation. However, the real fun of studying is in classrooms, sitting with all classmates. Now, I miss my school a lot.

Before this pandemic happened, I used to play outdoor games with my friends but now owing to the lockdown guidelines, we have been confided to our homes. We have started talking and meeting online through voice and video calls. COVID-19 has turned our lives upside down. The activities with friends at school have been replaced with the activities at home with family members. The fun of waiting for the recess or lunch break in between periods before the recess is no longer there. I miss those times a lot. Small get-togethers of friends during recess, celebrations of friend's birthdays, morning assemblies have all disappeared from our lives. These little moments were a crucial part of the day which we all are missing while sitting at our homes.

However, right now all we can do is pray to God that with its blessings we again get to enjoy these memorable times. COVID-19 has brought about an immense change in our personal hygiene habits also. So now we have to change our habits and lifestyle to beat the effects of the coronavirus.