THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON KIDS

Make no mistake about it. COVID-19 was a big deal, and it left a lot of negative consequences in its wake. People are still asking me, “What was the worse impact that COVID-19 had on children?” 

 My response has always been the same. “One substantial impact that COVID-19 had on children was the negative way in which it impacted kids’ Social Skills.” 

 Developing and maintaining positive relationships is dependent on having positive Social Skills. And having positive Social Skills is dependent on having in-person encounters with others. Unfortunately, during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, many kids had little if any contact with their peers—which predictably interrupted the normal progression of their Social Skills. 

 It is so vitally important for kids to have positive Social Skills, I made them the focus of several of my kids’ self-help books. One of the most popular Social Skills books is Every Kid’s Guide to Making Friends. 

 This book puts forth and explains in detail several important guidelines for making and managing friendships. The guidelines are listed below for parents who might want to pass them along to their children. 

 The six GUIDELINES FOR MAKING FRIENDS includes: 

 #1 – Show an interest in the other person. 

#2 – Use the other person’s name. 

#3 – Talk about subjects that will interest the other person. 

#4 – Listen to the other person. 

#5 – Help the other person feel important. 

#6 – Help the other person feel special. 

 The eight GUIDELINES FOR KEEPING FRIENDS includes: 

 #1 – Accept the other person as is. 

#2 – Appreciate the other person. 

#3 – Encourage the other person. 

#4 – Empathize with the other person. 

#5 – Do not nag or argue with the other person. 

#6 – Apologize to the other person whenever necessary. 

#7 – Forgive the other person whenever necessary. 

#8 – Do something special for the other person. 

Here are some ADDITIONAL RESOURCES that address Social Skills for kids.  https://joyberryenterprises.com/ages-7-9/

• Friends from the Teach Me About series (for ages 1 – 3) 

• Let’s Talk about Playing with Others from the Let’s Talk About series (for ages 3 – 5) 

• Every Kid’s Guide to Being a Communicator from the Living Skills series (for ages 7 – 9) 

• Every Kid’s Guide to Handling Disagreements from the Living Skills series (for ages 7 – 9) 

• How to Say the Right Thing from the Survival Skills series (for ages 9 – 11) 

• How to Avoid Hanging Around with the Wrong Crowd from the Survival Skills series (for ages 9 – 11) 

• You Can Be Liked from the Winning Skills series (for ages 11 – 13) 

 Of course, it goes without saying that the foundation of all positive Social Skills is the GOLDEN RULE – Treat other people the way you want to be treated. And the Golden Rule is Best “caught rather than taught.” This means that parents who want to teach their children the Golden Rule and other related Social Skills need to “practice what they preach.” I often refer to this as the “Show-me-how-then-let-me-do-it” teaching method. 

In closing, in regard to the impact of COVID-19 on kids: it’s good to remember that kids are resilient and are able to overcome or address most obstacles if they are given the necessary Living Skills—including Social Skills—they need to live their lives intelligently and responsibly.