Can’t say for sure, but we think it’s a combination of parents working more since Covid unfortunately killed a lot of people especially older people who would theoretically be the support structure for daycare while the parents are working. Then there’s the addiction to technology, which was already bad pre Covid, but during the lockdowns and now post Covid is probably worse than ever. Also this isn’t something that just effects the prek kids, there is notable behavioral issues with all grade levels. I know it sounds like bullshit, but I’m telling you something happened to make these kids start acting this way and I don’t think the general assumptions of this thread that the lockdowns had no affect isn’t a very good one to take. The reason I bring up the smaller children at all is because the prevailing assumption ITT is that the reason these kids are acting this way is because of a generalized sense of despair, which might be true for older children, but doesn’t explain anything for the younger ones who as you said were only months old during the lockdowns. They barely have a concept of the color blue let alone any idea that climate change or fascism is a thing.

It’s very easy to think that teachers are just complaining and kids are no different than before or that they’ve always been like this, but when multiple veteran teachers are telling us first hand that these are easily the worst classes they’ve had in their careers that shouldn’t mean nothing. Teachers spend more time with the kids than their parents do pretty much, their first hand accounts should be taken seriously.