2020.
Does anything else need to be said?
2020 was a year that will be remembered forever. For the first time in modern history, the entire world experienced a life-changing global pandemic. People lost lives, lost jobs, and it felt like many of us lost our minds. Whatever you went through in the past year, we hope you’re better now. Be encouraged by the progress made towards getting back to normal!
The New Normal
But “normal” may never be the same as it once was. And even if life does return to pre-pandemic normal, and we no longer have to wear masks or socially distance, there will still be lingering effects from COVID well after we’re all vaccinated. For our children especially, the psychological toll that quarantine has taken remains to be realized.
As you’ll learn in this article, social interaction is incredibly important to a young child’s development. Unfortunately, Zoom activities aren’t nearly an equal substitute for in-person socialization.
That’s why – as we slowly return to some normalcy – it’s so important to make a deliberate effort to foster these vital social interactions. Nothing can make up for the lost time spent inside, bored and alone during 2020, but we can do our best to start anew.
MiniBop
MiniBop Music’s mission is just that; to provide a much-needed environment for children to socialize, move, and interact with their peers. Through the universal languages of sound, harmony and rhythm, our goal is to give back what was taken away. We’re so excited to be launching our in-person group music classes and private music playdates as we continue to stay safe.
Social Interaction and Child Development
As stated above, social interaction is vital for child development. Early childhood experiences with peers can have a major long-term impact. Lack of those experiences means a lack of learning social cues, how to converse, and how to process various emotions.
A 2015 study of preschool aged children looked at various measures of social understanding, social behavior and temperament. Prosocial behaviors, as simple as they may seem, are actually quite complex. For example, for a child to offer a blanket to someone who is cold requires the child to first “recognize that someone else has a problem.”1 This means learning to understand facial expressions and relate them to their own internal emotions. The studies also cited research indicating parental socialization of a variety of activities encourages a child’s development of positive social behaviors.
The Psychological Impact of Quarantine
More recent research has examined the potential impact of the COVID-19 quarantine on child development. The paper cited studies that polled parents and found much higher levels of stress across the board. This stress in parents was seen negatively affecting children as well.2 Other studies found increases in the number of children who felt sad, depressed and anxious.3 Despite children being at less risk of COVID-specific symptoms, the psychological impact is likely greater than that of adults.
While Zoom has been helpful in allowing some socialization during this difficult period, it only scratches the surface of complex social interactions. The fact is humans are social creatures. We need face-to-face in-person contact. Even in an ever-more digital world, the only way to learn how to be human is to interact with other humans!
Get Your Groove Back… With Music!
One of the best facilitators of social interaction is music! Just think how much fun you had back when concerts were a thing. But even in a small setting, music has unique developmental characteristics.
A five-year study conducted by USC neuroscientists found that music instruction actually accelerates brain development in young children. That development is particularly accelerated in areas of the brains responsible for processing sounds, speech perception and even reading skills!4
Studies have also found that children who have exposure to music benefit from enhanced brain activity and have greater ability to perform certain academic tasks, according to a research paper on the subject from 2000.5
Learn and Socialize While Having Fun
The studies mentioned above are just a few examples of the overwhelming evidence pointing to music as a unique cognitive stimulator. And the best part of it all? Music is FUN!
Of course reading, writing and math are important – but let’s be honest… none are quite as fun as singing and dancing along to some music! School is guaranteed to offer the first three, but as budget cuts threaten arts programs, it’s getting more difficult to find an outlet for creative learning. Enter MiniBop Music.
Join Us!
We started MiniBop Music just as the pandemic began, offering fun and engaging music classes via Zoom. Now, as the economy reopens and restrictions loosen, we’re excited to transition into in-person music classes.
At our small and cozy studio in Glassell Park, we’ll be fostering the musical and social development that our children have missed for far too long. We’d love to have you join us! Either way, we wish you the best of luck in getting your child back into socialization activities in 2021!
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