Editor Perhaps the most profound way how the lockdowns have impacted kids is their friendships. Social distancing and school closures have meant making friends & socializing is limited to virtual meets.
As parents, this change has definitely worried us. Socializing is vital for our kids’ well-being. All we want is to make their childhoods as normal, stress-free, and as happy as possible.
The good news is that as the world begins to open up again our children will soon be able to interact normally with their friends! And so here are some helpful tips to make their journey towards socializing as seamless as possible.
#1 Work on YOUR expectations
Firstly, don’t expect everything to go perfectly. “It’s important to have realistic expectations and understand that this might just be a little hard, and that’s OK” – says Psychologist Pankti Gada.
As kids start socializing beyond their families, some discomfort is to be expected. After all, they are interacting with others after a long time and might not be able to leap onto being around people so easily.
While not all children will experience difficulty transitioning back to offline schools & classes, some may. So keep your expectations in check from the beginning so that you can tackle any scenarios with much more ease.
#2 Watch for signs of stress
Keep an eye out for any change in behaviour by your kids. Moody-ness, stress-eating etc. Don’t jump to conclusions but try to keep your communication with them open.
#3 Books will help!
When kid’s are not open to communicating directly, you can always take help from books. Start with reading to them about books that show social interaction. Zooboo’s personalized storybook ‘Get’s wings’ is all about a kid dreaming about flying – on the way back from school with his/her mom. Start by personalizing this book for your child and getting them into the conversation about school.
You can also try the ‘Birthday’ book and start the conversation about meeting new & old friends. Another personalized book ‘Lost Smile’ is a great way to discuss emotions and how to cope with them.
Order your books here.
#4 Start small with playdates
Start with baby steps like a 1-1 playdate with a child their age. Or a virtual meet with all their classmates. Starting slow will ensure that you child is not overwhelmed by big crowds.
#5 Show & tell
Show you child pictures of their new/old school. Also show them pictures of the park, zoo etc to mentally familiarize them with places outside their own home. Personalize some storybooks on ‘Zoo’ & ‘Theme parks’ with Zooboo.
#6 Play socially distanced games
If you have access to a park you can arrange a treasure hunt with other kids. This is a good start for your children to meet other children in a socially distanced manner. Eventually, you can move to a spread out picnic after your game!
#7 Extra cuddles will help!
As kids experience some unfamiliarity especially with a school classroom, they might need a little more comfort than usual. Include some extra bedtime cuddles to make them feel mor secure and increase their sense of comfort!
As the world is opening up and schools are also re-starting, naturally we as parents are worried about how our kids will adapt to socializing after so many months spent amidst few adults! While we do all we can to help kids into this transition, also keep in mind that kids can surprise us many-a-times by adjusting better than our expectations.
So ‘chill-out’ a bit dear parents and don’t let your stress get the better of you 🙂
