APRIL 2021 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 41
FAMILY & EDUCATION
PARENTING TIPS
RETURNING TO SOCIALIZATION
BY DONNA DUARTE-LADD
When the kids are finally around
other kids, while joyous, emotions
can also go from zero to 60 over the
simplest things.
As we slowly make our way back outside,
how can parents get their kids
(and ourselves) back to socializing
courteously and respectfully?
Dr. Christina Johns, senior medical
advisor for Lake Success-based PM
Pediatrics, shared tips on how kids
can transition back to being social.
Has quarantine affected kids’ development?
We currently don’t have
enough long-term data to determine
what developmental effects the pandemic
will have on children, and we
will be following that very closely in
the years to come.
As New York gradually reopens,
how can kids transition into being
social again? My recommendation to
parents is to ease in slowly. I suggest
shorter play dates and one-on-one
time to start, all the while reminding
children to respect their peers’ physical
space.
How can kids deal with misunderstandings
and hurt feelings once
they start having more face-to-face
time? Role modeling, the behavior you
want to see in your child, is key. I also
suggest scripting. In other words, talk
to your child about how to navigate
these kinds of situations before they
actually happen, and you can arm
them with strategies.
What can parents do if their child
seems anxious or depressed as they
get back to just being a kid? I would
encourage parents to make sure they
know what the truly concerning signs
of depression and anxiety are in order
to determine when it’s time to speak to
a pediatric physician for help. Those
signs can manifest in a child getting
so anxious that they can’t get through
their activities of daily life, their sleep
schedule seems to be thrown off, they
are completely disengaged, grades are
dropping, etc.
As for parents, how do we set good
examples for our kids? We practice
what we preach. One thing that I
encourage parents to keep in mind is
the idea of balance. Try your best as
a parent to set boundaries for yourself
and do something that’s actually
engaging and social during the day. If
you’ve been working all day, sitting in
front of a screen, give yourself a break
and go outside to chat with a neighbor.
And, bring your child with you. If you
start engaging in safe, social activities
together, your child is more likely to
pick that up and do it independently.
This story first appeared in New York
Family.
Baby steps re best for getting kids together amid the pandemic. (Getty Images)
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