Why is Community Involvement Important for Children?

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Many of us will have heard of the phrase "it takes a village to raise a child" but what does that really mean? For lots children and parents, being involved in community initiatives gives them a whole host of skills that can prepare them for future interactions, hardships and resilience. It also gives children a lot of opportunities to practice skills they use in school and when socialising too.

It’s not just parents that are integral in child development, but the people that surround them: teachers, friends, other peoples’ parents and other family members. Bringing them into the fold will allow your child to develop a sense of independence and leadership. It also allows children to experience different views, cultures, perspectives and friendships too, broadening their knowledge and understand of the world and people around them. 

Check out this guide from an accredited nursery in Hampshire to see how important it can be for children. 

Your child can learn to socialise 

A key part of growing up is allowing your child the freedom to speak and interact with others. They actually learn very early on in life about different sounds and actions people make around them and will look to mimic them as they grow.  

 

Having a host of different people around your child will give the best chances to look at different perspectives and understand other personalities they’ll come into contact with. It also gives them the chance to practice their communication skills between people they trust. Socialising is also how children learn some key skills such as sharing and building friendships. 

 

They can build relationships 

Parents invested in their children’s futures will be communicating, playing and helping them flourish as much as they can. Children have the chance to build relationships with people of all ages by being a part of a community, be it within school grounds or at a local club or any other extracurricular activity. 

 

Children can be naturally shy or teeming with confidence from the get go. Either way, building relationships within a community will give your child plenty of experience in talking to a breadth of people. This in turn will give them the self-esteem to talk about a range of topics with different people.

 

Your child improves their self-esteem and confidence 

Children are more likely to feel accepted by parents and teachers if they’re given the chance to talk freely. Adults should openly accept children’s feelings, as we are all human after and equal too, so encouraging them to be open and honest in front of others will give them the confidence they’re looking for. 

 

When they’re accepted by others, children are more likely to accept themselves and know that they’re in the right. However, ensure that your child understands different perspectives that people will have in order for them to be confident in themselves. By interacting with others who may have different skills, hobbies and personalities it also allows your child to gain lots of different experiences and experience things they may like or dislike too. Seeing others feel or even look how they feel can really help children feel less lonely within a community. 

Do you think it is important for children to be exposed to different people within the community and was this something you tried to do with your own children? 

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**This is a collaborative post.**