A DREAMY WAY TO HELP KIDS SOCIALISE AGAIN

This month, we talked with Dubai-based firm Dream Party about their very clever and thoughtful way of helping kids to get back to being fun-filled and joyous after 15 months of disruption to their social development.

Fourteen months ago, we ran a story about the birthday party of a little girl. Her parents bought her a beautiful pink dress for the special occasion and ordered a luxurious cake themed with her favourite cartoon characters. There were balloons, streamers, decorations and plenty of gifts and surprises to celebrate her 3rd birthday. This little girl had a birthday party complete with everything a child could ever want, except for one thing. There were no guests. Zero. Nobody came to her birthday party. She celebrated alone at home with her parents, in the middle of the lockdown, meaning that not even other family members could come to the party, never mind her little friends.

This toddler was told that there was a virus that some people had, so we all had to stay away from people until this virus was gone. She was taught that hand-washing kills the nasty virus, and, as was the case with every other child at the time, she took this in her stride and spent her birthday alone. She is now used to not having her friends at home, nor visiting them at theirs.

Fast forward to now, and parents across the world have been limiting the contact their children have had with others for around 15 months. Unsurprisingly, child development experts agree that the lack of socialisation has had an effect on children.