According to Oxford University Press, children in the UK chose ‘anxiety’ as their word of the year for 2021. How will 2022 play out for parents and children in Malaysia, as they face a completely different schedule for the new school year, and numerous challenges related to physical and mental wellbeing? We check in with Aniza Nawawi, a mother, to discuss what parents have been struggling with when it comes to their children’s mood and behaviour throughout the pandemic. We also speak to Teoh Rhu Yie, clinical psychologist from Thrive Well, to look at what support families need to cope with 2022, especially those from lower-income communities.

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