The past 11 months have been hard on all of us, and that’s particularly true for kids who have been stuck outside and unable to go to school or see their friends. And understandably, this is getting parents a little concerned about the lasting effects the quarantine will have on their children.
A new Genius of Play survey finds:
- 69% of parents are worried about the lasting effects this past year in quarantine will have on their children.
- 72% of parents say in 2020 their children were lonelier than they’ve ever been before.
- 68% of parents are worried their child’s social skills will be affected by their experiences in the past year.
- When it comes to their biggest worries, parents are concerned the past year will make it:
- More difficult for their child to connect with people in-person in the future (52%)
- More difficult for their child to play in the future (44%)
- More difficult for their child to make friends in the future (44%)
- Their child will have more difficulty with their mental health (40%)
- Their child will have more difficulty with crowds or large social events (40%)
But not everything was negative.
- 46% say the past year has allowed them to spend more time playing with their child.
- 42% noticed their child and their siblings have been playing together more.
- 42% of parents say they themselves have been playing more than in the past.
- 39% say their children have become more self-sufficient.
- 38% say they have become more imaginative.