Why do young children need to be around other children?
The early years of their life are crucial for mental and physical development. A child’s mind grows fast – from before birth to early childhood. Although the learning or growth continues on in the later stages of life, the pace does slow down.
It needs to be kept in mind that adults and children are very different from each other. This pandemic has shaken the whole world in such a way that it just puts us out of words. Hypertension during this pandemic has led to a disturbed sleep cycle.
For children, the situation can also affect their mental health adversely. The amount at which children are getting sick is comparatively low, but the main area of concern, which is worrisome for the parents, is the new normal the children go through. The impact is highly seen in those families where they have a sick person or someone who has died recently.
Due to the social distancing mandate and schools remaining closed for a long time now, kids are confined to their homes, not meeting other kids.
The importance of young children being around their peers
It is hard for adults to adapt to the changes in the routine and have anxiety issues. This gets even more difficult for the children to adjust to their new routine. Not being able to socialize with their friends adds to more anxiety, which becomes a cause of early stress.
When the children are around other children of their age, they tend to experiment and talk about things, bringing more questions and a chance of growth.
Organizing e-meets is one of the great sources for them to connect and grow.
A child’s mind grows at rapid speed, during these early days. This is why being around other kids helps them build their sense of self and promotes development. When children are put out of their routine for a longer period, it becomes a cause of stress and disturbs their mindset. Social interaction with other kids comes with various benefits. Being with other children induces and promotes:
- Interactive ability in children
- Great communication skills
- Improved mental and physical health
- Decreased stress levels
- Language skills
- Creativity
- Confidence
- Sense of Empathy
There are a few things that elders cannot teach their kids. A kid can learn such things when they are around other kids. This way, when your kid learns something from outside, he/she will tend to practice the same at home with parents or siblings, making room for more learning and growth.
What role can schools play?
Schools are closed for a while now, but this does not mean they don’t have a role to play. The responsibility of the school has increased. Schools can provide vital training to children to help them understand the situation better and promote e-learning. Schools are arranging e-meets intending to promote a feeling of being around other kids.
Returning to school will do a lot of good to the mental health of the children as well as the parents. With work from home in effect, the parents are juggling their work, managing finances, and helping children learn. It becomes a hassle for the parents to keep their kids learning during this pandemic.
What role can parents play?
Robert Jenkins, the Global Chief of Education at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has few tips to help parents teach their children at home without compromising the child’s mental well-being. He understands the pandemic has disturbed and turned the life upside down and offers 5 important tips to keep the child’s learning going:
- Planning a routine together with your child.
- Have an open conversation and know what is going in their heads.
- Increase the duration of the learning session slowly.
- Protect the children online by educating them on the right ways to use the internet, especially the teens, and possibly apply parental control on their devices.
- Keep in touch with the child’s education facility and get guidance. Another way of doing this is by joining the parents’ groups online.
Doing this will keep the child learning and parents sane. This will create a situation that would be suitable for both the parents and the children.
During times of stress, it is common for a kid to seek attachment and be demanding. Spend time with them and make arrangements to keep them around kids of the same age while keeping safety and social distancing in mind.
Discuss COVID-19 with them in an honest and age-appropriate manner. Teach them to follow preventive guidelines to stay safe. In this stressful period, keeping children around other kids via online or offline mediums is the best way for them to develop their minds and manage their emotions without hampering their growth.
Why Send Your Kids to Inspire Kids Montessori?
As a parent, you might be still contemplating sending your kids to school. Rest assured that Inspire Kids Montessori has taken your child’s safety as their #1 Mission. As a small school, monitoring of children enrolled becomes easier here. The school is already popular for its cleanliness and quality education and care. Most importantly, temperatures are taken twice daily to ensure your children are not in trouble. Finally, access to the school is limited to students and teachers only.
Wait no more; please call us at (480) 659-9402 for more information.
