Cultivate social and emotional development in your child.
Kids love being social, and in a pandemic, it can be difficult to foster social and emotional development when they spend a large majority of their time at home, socially distanced. As a parent or caregiver, how can you encourage them to be social?
A World of Discoveries in Columbia provides the best daycare services, even amidst COVID-19! With unrivaled health and safety standards, you can feel good about where your child is when they’re not with you. Learn more about how to encourage your child to be social in today’s post.
The Importance of Socializing
It’s important for kids to socialize with their peers because it supports their emotional and cognitive development, in addition to language skills and much more. The pandemic has been especially tough on kids in this regard, which makes it so important to encourage this.
Interact With Your Kids
If your kids can’t be with their friends, try to make an effort to spend more time with them. When you play with them, they’re able to work on their social skills and pick up on other important communication skills such as body language.
Consider Virtual Playdates
If your kid uses Zoom for school, they may be over this virtual space, but it can still be extremely practical for them to use for playdates. Sure, it’s definitely not the same as playing at the park together, but it still allows for social interaction with their buds.
Laugh Together
Laughing is a large part of a child’s social development — this is where they learn boundaries and other subtle nuances through humor. Tell jokes at dinner or watch a funny movie — whatever you do, get them to laugh.
Character Play
With younger kids, you can get out their favorite stuffed toys and pretend to talk to each other. You can ask them questions such as, “What do you tell your friend when it’s their birthday?” or, “How do you greet your friends?” Listen to how they respond and then follow up with character play to sharpen their skills.
Create, Healthy and Safe In-Person Fun
Interacting with a kid your child’s same age can do so much for them. Depending on the comfort level of another parent, schedule a safe, in-person play date. Playing outside is always a good bet, and you can better supervise them in playing socially distanced games. Riding bikes and hikes are great activities as well.
Enroll in Daycare
Maybe a little time away from home would be good for everyone! A World of Discoveries can accommodate all-day care or care for morning or after school hours — whatever you need, we can support it.
Our Columbia daycare ensures a safe and healthy environment and follows the CDC recommendations including washing and sanitizing hands, disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and toys, teaching the kids how to properly cover coughs and sneezes, and wearing masks (age-appropriate).
To learn more about our daycare programs or COVID-19 protocols, connect with A World of Discoveries today!