Young children experience the world as an ‘environment of relationships’, which affect virtually all aspects of their development, according to the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. However, children of the pandemic experienced very little social contact outside the home during lockdowns, and early years practitioners are perfectly placed to observe how these children have been affected.
Lecturer, author and trainer Dr Mine Conkbayir explains, ‘The fundamental importance of social connections in early childhood simply cannot be overstated.
‘Children benefit from abundant social contact both with other children and adults, developing essential skills such as communication, co-operation, taking turns, sharing, negotiating, empathising, creating and following rules and managing conflict, while learning about social cues and social norms, increasing a sense of belonging and resilience, and decreasing stress.
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