Section 7: How the pandemic affected children’s mental health and wellbeing (b) Missing friends Many children raised the importance of having friends in their lives and seeing them in person. Having ‘less time with family and friends in person’ was the second most highly rated issue that caused children worry in the last two years (Figure 11). ds frien ter d e d is I nee ny. My s but a , co mp are nice r mu m frien d o o y m h an d ld like a ell w w u w I wo ne I kno o . so me own age 1, VIC d 9–1 y e g m a is Boy, — aged 9 –11, VIC misse d My frien ds! I lot my frien ds a into when we went isse d being lockdown. I m an d socialise able to go o ut eo ple face to an d talk to p the week I face. Even in misse d my ha d COVID I isse d being frien ds an d m . ere I wante d h w o g to e e fr –13, TAS —Girl, aged 12 56 | They noted the importance of school as a key place to socialise and engage with their friends. In the survey, the most common reason children gave for being happy to return to school in 2022 was that they could see their friends in person and socialise with them. I lo ve my frie n ds an I lo ve d seeing them, I can’t s o do w focus d that, I strug hen ue to a gle to nxiety. —Girl, [I miss ed frien ds ] Not seeing , family , not b scho ol ei an d ha ving a ng at Being s r o ut tu so meti ck in the ho u ine. mes no t havin se an d anythin g g I di dn’t to do. I felt lik r o ver w eally have co e ntrol hat I d i d. —Girl, While some said that they were able to maintain relationships with friends online, others claimed that it was not the same as engaging with them in person. aged 1 (c) Restrictions on social and recreational activities Children raised the negative impacts of not being able to engage in social and recreational activities, including sport. Children often saw sport as a way to connect with friends. way d the e g n lot a h has c ut on a o d e Co vi d s s s I’ve mi d that make I live. n a vities of acti et. SW lly ups a e r 9–11, N e d e m g a Girl, — NSW IC Seeing my friends and not being able to dance in a bigger space. sports. m a e t Playing 11, WA ged 9– —Boy, a —Girl, aged 14–15, NSW —Child with undisclosed gender, aged 9–11, who speaks a language other than English at home, SA I want e d to s ee my an d th frie ere wa s was no zo o m b n ds t the s ut it ame. [I miss] Hanging out with my friends, chatting, laughing, hugging, playing sport, being part of a group, a sense of belonging. –11, 2–13, V I needed someone to play with. I needed someone to share my feelings with. I needed someone to understand me and make me happy. —Girl, I’m l o seein oking fo rwar g my go in g ba frien ds d to ck t o da an d —Gi ncin rl, ag g. ed 9 aged 9 –11, VIC ying es, pla t a m l Scho o cialising. so sport, QLD I’ve mi sse d pla y basket ball w it ing h frien ds my a scho ol. n d go ing to Bi have b rthdays een ca ncelle d . —Bo y, aged 12–13, SA 17, ed 16– ag —Boy, Social interaction and being able to dance at the studio. —Girl, aged 12–13, NSW —Girl, aged 12–13, QLD ‘Mental health shapes COVID-19 kids’wellbeing wellbeing •• 2022 2022 | 57 ‘Mental health shapes my my life’:life’: COVID-19 && kids’