Abstract
Societal crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic have far-reaching consequences for children’s development. This commentary builds upon the timely and important contribution of our study [1] on the social competence of 5-year-olds during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering a perspective on how societal crises shape early childhood development. Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework [2], we explored the interplay between child characteristics, family dynamics, and absence from early childhood education and care (ECEC). Namely child’s gender, child’s developmental or health related issues, parental distress, and parent’s gender, which should be taken into consideration when further studying early social development. We argue that understanding social competence during societal disruptions requires a broader, more context-sensitive approach—one that accounts for the child’s individual characteristics, specifics of family life, and the role of parental perception, to capture emerging social development in naturalistic settings. This commentary also explores implications for early childhood policy, emphasizing the need for crisis-resilient educational environments and mental health support for families.
Keywords
Early childhood, Early childhood education and care (ECEC), Social competence, COVID-19