The Importance of Social Interactions for COVID-19 Children
Covid-19 and Children
The Importance of Social Interactions for COVID-19 Children
When you consider the first experiences of a child who has been born and raised during the pandemic, it is significantly different to those who were born even mere years earlier. While many children begin childcare and move onto kindergarten when they reach the appropriate age, many children now are kept home or attend school virtually. Or, they attend school but the idea of germs, wearing masks, getting vaccines is made a priority. How will this impact the current generation of children?
Enrolling your child in a childcare program has many benefits, both short term and long term. Through childcare, children:
- Build relationships with peers
Children are able to interact with others their own age. Friendships are key to developing self-esteem, self-worth, and security. Children are able to feel a sense of belonging within this community of friends and find comfort in having someone to play with, speak with, and grow with.
- Build relationships with educators
Children will be able to find comfort and guidance in adults outside of their immediate family. Children will be supported with their growth and development from a place of patience, encouragement, and experience. This experience will also support children in finding comfort in their teachers as they attend school and spend longer days away from home.
- Develop prosocial behaviors
When entering childcare, children are developing connections with a diverse group of individuals. These children come from different families, have different interests, and different abilities. Through normalizing diversity and individuality, children perceive the world as a home of a multitude of personalities, goals, and passions.
- Develop language skills
Children are now communicating with people outside of their home. This can promote a child’s adaptability in conveying their thoughts. A parent may immediately know what a child is asking for by a gesture or word (or babble). When interacting with a newer person in their life, children begin to naturally find other means to communicate if their message is not being understood, and find support in finding this means from their educators.
There are a plethora of benefits of enrolling your child in a childcare setting. Social development is a key area you will begin to see changes in. Whether it’s the new friends they have been playing with, or the fun experiences they have, children will reap the benefits of this new social environment.
