It’s easy for both practitioners and parents to instantly assume the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic have had a negative effect on the development of young children, but let’s try and look at it in a more positive light.
Yes, there will always be a knock on effect to children from the social deprivation they have experienced, but in many ways children will have gained new developmental experiences that may have gone un-noticed.
Lets take a look at some…
Family Relationships
There is no better way to grow the bond between children, their siblings and parents than for them to have spent long periods of time together. With many parents working and children being in childcare, some families can sometimes spend no longer than a few hours in the evening and the weekend together. The national lockdown in March forced a majority of families to stay at home for several months. Children got an insight into the lives of their parents, watching them type away on the computer and hearing them using their professional phone voices. Children observed parents becoming teachers, trying to continue an education for older siblings. They also got to be involved in things like cooking, cleaning, playing games and going for walks on a daily basis. The developmental benefits to children being included in such activities are vast. Conversations with adults using a rich variety of vocabulary, as well as listening to discussions are proven to increase the development of a child’s speech, language and communication skills.
The time spent with children, helps parents to have a better understanding of their emotional ability, their perception of life and their personality traits. Knowing this about your child can only improve your ability as a parent to effectively manage behaviour and understand how to influence your child in a positive way.
Time in Nature
With leisure facilities, shops and restaurants closed many families had to find alternative ways of keeping their children occupied. This is when the UK really came to realise the benefits of how many green spaces we have free access to.
Children spent time running and playing in the woods, climbing trees, collecting sticks to build dens, making nature crafts and jumping in muddy puddles. The benefits of outdoor learning are highly researched and provide a holistic approach to development. The outdoor activities children partook in aided development from creativity and imagination, to fine and gross motor skills.
The fresh air also helps with metal well-being. Being in a natural environment such as heath or woodland or even just a grassed back garden have a calming and de-stressing effect on us as humans. It is also fair to say that parents with a healthy stress level have an impact on the happiness of their children too.
Understanding The World
Although it is not positive for children to be informed of the full details of a pandemic, its important for them to be made aware of certain aspects. Children can learn small lessons about life with simple moments of teaching. If we shield our children completely from the reality of life, we do nothing but harm their ability to cope as they get older and responsibilities fall on their shoulders. Children also feel a sense of equality and respect when they are not kept in the dark about the realities of their lives. A simple understanding about change, how we do not always get what we want, patience and protecting ourselves can go a long way to helping a child as they grow in an ever changing world.
Knowledge Is Power
As parents and practitioners we pride ourselves on keeping our children healthy and hygienic, but have we also been allowing them to do this for themselves? We can easily overlook the explanations for things we do, as being necessary to young children, but actually they are just as important.
Children have learnt about “germs”, what they do to us and how we control them (washing hands etc.) In this small piece of education we have taught children about something “nasty” such as a virus, but at the same time given them the knowledge needed to protect themselves from it. Children experience fear when they feel vulnerable and un-informed, teaching children simple things they can do to protect themselves removes that fear and gives them a sense of power.
Hope For The Future
Children are more resilient than we sometimes give them credit for. We have seen this within our own setting, where children who have been isolated from other children for several weeks have returned and settled back into the routine of Preschool with ease.
They have been the positive influence on many parents who may have struggled during these unprecedented times, bringing light and laughter to an otherwise dark situation.
We should also remember that children have continued to thrive even in the most dire of circumstances. They will take the lessons from this time, quietly observed and infuse them into their futures.
Wishing you a positive 2021.
Danni
Manager/Founder -Unique Beginnings Childcare