Saskatchewan and COVID: Our stories — Through the eyes of children

March 12 marked one year since the first COVID-19 case was reported in Saskatchewan.

Over the next week, 980 CJME and 650 CKOM will bring you stories from across the province reflecting on the past year.

Today we hear how the pandemic impacted children and what they are looking forward to most when it is over.

Just like adults, the world children knew was flipped upside down one year ago.

Going to a friend’s house was replaced by virtual playdates, while birthday parties and visits with grandparents also went online due to COVID-19 rules.

Kids had to deal with the disappointment of cancelled sports and activities. When a school reopened, it was with masks, sanitizing stations and distancing from other classmates.

Lacey Hickson says her daughters, Payton and Kendall, handled the pandemic very differently.

“My 12-year-old, Payton, has always been good to be on her own. She was a social distance champ before COVID,” said Hickson.

“My 11-year-old is a character. Kendall is very outgoing and needs to have people around. We always tease she needs an audience. Her mood has changed a lot. Her sparkle is a little bit gone.”

READ MORE:

• The road to recovery

Hickson said the four members of her family have enjoyed their time together, but they are ready for it to be over and to see other people again.

One of the first people Payton and Kendall want to see is their 88-year-old great-grandmother who lives in North Battleford. A drive-by birthday in January is the closest thing they have had to a real visit with “baba” in months.

For Payton, not having that physical touch has been the hardest part of the last year.

“I love hugging. It’s awesome,” she said. “I just want to go around hugging people.”

With vaccines now going into arms in Saskatchewan, Payton knows a reunion is not far away.

“My-great grandmother got (vaccinated) and they’re making their way around and I’m super happy about that,” Payton said.

If the past year has shown us anything, it’s how resilient children are and how quickly they adapted to the new world put in front of them. Kids became little experts and were quick to point out when their parents were not following the rules.

While visiting a restaurant in North Battleford recently, two children offered reminders to adults to sanitize their hands.

“Because of COVID,” shouted four-year-old Eden Bosker.

“Germs that can kill you,” added her seven-year-old brother, Dane.

Masks became like a dress code in schools. Kids like six-year-old Levi Ardell latched on quickly to the idea that masks help prevent the spread of the virus and keep other people safe.

“You have to leave your mask on except you can take it off when it’s lunchtime,” she said while explaining the rules at her school. “Sanitize and wash five times a day.

“Coronavirus goes inside the air. It spreads around inside the air.”

Some like five-year-old Jocelyn Leibel even embraced their new look.

“I do have cool ones,” she said, holding up her leopard-print mask.

While kids have become used to putting on a mask every day, they look forward to the day when they will not have to wear one anymore.

“They’re really annoying,” Kendall Hickson said. “If it accidentally falls down, you always have to be reminded to put it back up.”

Despite the disappointments of the last year, kids grew to understand why the things they loved to do were not allowed anymore.

If everyone was coronavirus, we wouldn’t have any friends to play with,” Eden Bosker said as she thought about why she wasn’t allowed to have a friend over to play.

“I just want to give people hugs, and I can’t do that because of the pandemic,” Payton Hickson said.

Kids catch on quickly to things and it is was no different when it came to the pandemic and what the vaccines mean.

Youngsters can sense the end is near.

“It’s kind of like a force field for coronavirus,” Mila Luczka said when asked how a COVID vaccine works.

“Mexico! Mexico! Go where Lizzy the Lizard is,” Levi Ardell shouted when asked what she wanted to do after the pandemic was over.

Mexico is on Mila’s wish list as well, but so is “going to the movie theatre.”

Six-year-old Draeger Blackwell said he can’t wait for hockey games again after his first year in the sport was spoiled by restrictions that only allowed teams to practise.

“It’s going to be awesome seeing my friends and family,” Payton Hickson said.

Dane Bosker is looking forward to a B.C. trip to visit his cousins, while his sister is hoping she can have a “sleepover with friends” for her fifth birthday party in June.

Sleepovers top Kendall Hickson’s list, along with seeing her grandparents.