7 Ways To Help Kids’ Rusty Social Skills As The Pandemic Winds Down
How can you expect your child to assimilate when they haven’t been practicing their social skills?
Covid-19 had a dire impact on all of our healthy social skills, but especially children. And no one can dismiss the impact rusty social skills have had on all of us.
Calling it a “missed year” is an understatement. How can we expect our children to assimilate into hybrid or in-person learning when they haven’t been practicing their social skills?
What about the child who was shy, introverted, or lonely before Covid? Will life be better or worse for them?
One year of over-indulgence in screens and rusty social skills and now we are to sit back and expect life to be great for them?
Addressing the social and emotional needs of kids as they return to in-person school.
Of course, academics are critical. Yet, we shortchange our children when we discount the importance of social connection.
The American Academy of Pediatrics stated that kids need to return to in-person school this fall.
They recognize the seriousness of Covid and the importance of physical safety, yet, they also recognized the essential value of emotional safety when evaluating overall school safety.
Relationships with peers and adults are invaluable, especially for preschool-aged children who are learning how to share and play with other kids.
Kids get a lot of value out of their personal interactions with other kids. Social life is a key part of growing up at every age level.
As with any other skill, if not practiced and used, social skills become rusty. Younger children need to play to build reciprocal relationships, and teens need to “chill” together.
Being with peers, trying things out, practicing, adapting, and trying again is a key aspect of social learning.