Covid has been tough on all of us. It has made it hard to get back to our day to day; it has made it hard to go back to the world that we lived in before the pandemic, and it has been hard on children. Many children that would have been exposed to other people were kept home, and as a result, many children have suffered in terms of their social skills. Many parents are asking, “How do I help my child who is struggling socially after COVID-19?”
How Can I Help My Child Redevelop Social Skills After the Pandemic?
One of the most difficult things for kids is getting back in the groove after a major upset in their lives. Children that were once in public school and daycare were kept home for nearly a year, sometimes longer, during the pandemic. These children went from seeing people that were not part of their immediate family unit every day to seeing very few people. One of the first things you can do to help your child following social isolation is to talk to them.
By talking to your child, you can see what is bothering them and what they are dealing with, and you can give them the chance to speak out and see what they are stressed out about. Next, you should try to get back to your pre-pandemic routines. Getting back into a routine can help your child establish some form of normalcy; it can also help them have something they can depend on, which will be constant no matter what.
You need to be taking time to let your child learn and get back in order on their own. You need to take the time to make sure that you are taking your time and that you are allowing them to really learn how to adapt and to allow them to take their time. All children are different; one child might immediately pick back up on social expectations with very little nudging, and others may take longer.
Listen to Your Child
Children have had a very tough time with the pandemic, tougher even than most adults. Letting your child take their time to get back in the groove of things is best. Take the time to let your child know what is expected from them, let them know that you are with them and that you are supporting them, and take your time as well to help get them back in the swing of things following something as life-altering as the pandemic.