The current lockdown due to the COVID-19 crisis has affected all of our relationships. Helping our kids keep in touch with friends during this time is a challenge, to say the least. We can let them text, Zoom, and chat on walks with the proper social distancing in place, but it doesn’t change the fact that our children need real social interaction to grow.
“One of the key skills of childhood — maybe the key skill — is relationship-building,” pediatrician Cara Natterson, MD, told Mom.com. “Learning how to interact with others becomes the foundation for almost every corner of life.”
It’s hard to know what the right move it to help your kids’ friendships prosper during these challenging times when some parents have different views on social interaction and the real concerns over lockdown protocol.
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The lockdown is stressful for everyone and kids aren’t impervious to any of it. Their entire lives are disrupted, from school shutdowns to fears of dying, it’s a lot of weight for little shoulders to carry. If we look to China as an example of what is likely to happen, 1 in 5 children in the Wuhan area report depression. One way to battle this is to help our children maintain friendships.
Laughter is real medicine, helping all of us reduce stress and cope with life’s struggles. When we help our children maintain friendships during the pandemic lockdown, we help facilitate the natural relationships that help our children find joy and laughter.
As parts of communities open back up, take advantage of being able to go to parks and open space areas to meet up with friends. Be sure to explain to your children about social distancing and remind them to not just keep their distance but to also not share toys — sharing is nice, just not during a pandemic.
