Section 9: Looking to the future
(a) End of the pandemic
Children were also asked to provide free-text
responses to the question ‘thinking about the
future, tell us something you are happy and
hopeful about?’. In response, many children
said they were hopeful that COVID-19 and the
restrictions would end. They wanted to ‘get rid
of COVID’ or ‘forget’ it.
This response was most prevalent from children
in NSW and Victoria, where restrictions were
greatest. Children spoke positively about
the ending of restrictions, vaccine and mask
mandates, and the prospect of being ‘more
free’ and back to ‘normal’. Part of this vision
of normality was the hope that the pandemic
would subside, and the illness would become
‘like a cold’.
(b) Humanity’s ability to overcome problems
A number of younger children, when asked
what makes them happy or hopeful, spoke
positively about the power of humanity to
overcome problems like the COVID-19 virus or
climate change, including through technological
advances.
(c) Returning to extracurricular activities
I am
ho
COVI peful that
D w il
lg
a
w ill j way an d e o
ust fo
ver yo
rg
ne
an d t
hings et abo ut
it
w ill g
to no
o bac
r mal.
k
be
this to
r
o
f
wait
o ne
I can’t d for me to s
n
id
o ver a my gran dk
ll
9
day te e COVID 1
h
t
abo ut ic.
VIC
m
2–13,
1
pan de
d
e
g
l, a
—Girl
—Gir
COVID die
s o ut due
to
herd im mu
nity an d w
e
all live ha
ppily ever
after.
, aged
The thing I’m most
in
lo oking forward to
it w ill
the future is that
past.
be better than the
—Boy, aged 9–11,
ma
with a disability, fro
l or
ra
ltu
specific cu
WA
,
nd
ethnic backgrou
—Boy, age
d 9–11, fro
ma
specific cu
ltural or eth
nic
backgroun
d, VIC
ill
VID-19 w ill
O
C
t
a
h
w
yt
I’m happ go away an d we st.
y
pa
e in the
eventuall
k
li
,
e
f
li
to
at I
get back lightly happy th
s
y to
o
this stor
I am als
ll
e
t
o
t
ble
w ill be a en I am older.
wh
IC
my kids
d 9–11, V
Girl, age
—
To COVID-19 to just be
like the cold or flu, small
but still around, and
you’re not hearing about
it every day.
—Girl, aged 12–13, VIC
112 |
12–13
, SA
COV
I
be l D w ill
s
ike
the o on
flu a
n
w ill n d ever or mal
yone
prob
it. T
ably
h
go in is virus get
g
dow down is
an d
n.
—G
irl, a
a sp ged 9–1
ethn ecific c 1, from
u
ic ba
ckgr ltural or
oun
d, SA
I just
h
to my o pe I can
g
old lif
di dn’t
e, wh o back
er
h
masks ave to wor e I
r
a
ever y n d sanitiz y abo ut
e
thing
in bet r an d
ween.
—
who s
Girl, a
pea
ged
than E ks a langua 12–13,
nglish
g
at hom e other
e, NSW
Many children in jurisdictions where there had
been long periods of lockdowns, spoke about
their hopes of returning to extracurricular
activities, like school camps and excursions,
sport and other activities outside of class.
go
get to
I
t
a
my
a d th
I’m gl scho ol w ith since
h
d
to hig hat I’ve ha d
t
la
frien d rten. I’m g vities
a
i
g
r
c
do a t i de
kin de
o
t
t
e
g
uts
that I o ve do ing o
l
that I l.
D
oo
11, QL
of sch
ged 9–
,a
—Girl
I am ho peful I will get
to go to camp this year.
—Girl, aged 12–13, from a
specific cultural or ethnic
background, VIC
I am
h
does o peful C
OVID
not c
6 for
a
mal, ncel the
Canb
o ur t
year
e
r
kin dy rra an d ip to
havin
bu d d
ga
y.
—Gir
l, age
d 12
–13,
NSW
‘Mental health shapes my life’: COVID-19 & kids’ wellbeing • 2022 | 113