Parents who believe their children can have a better future more likely to read, play with them

The pandemic disrupted the rhythms of most households and was especially stressful for those with young children.

Every day, a small group of women make their way through the community of Sweetwaters, near the South African city of Pietermaritzburg, with bags of toys and books. They work as home mentors supporting families who signed up for an early childhood development intervention. They swap puzzles and stories and provide resourceful activities for children and caregivers. Even the older siblings often sit and join the stories and games.

iThemba’s approach is in line with what’s long been established by developmental psychology researchers: that playing and reading time in early childhood has long-lasting positive effects. We used programme data from between 2019 and 2021 to answer these questions. We found that length of time in the programme before the pandemic influenced how much reading and playing happened during the 2020 Covid lockdown. We also found that parents who believed their children could have a better future than them were more likely to read and play with them.

South Africa had several strict lockdowns during the pandemic. The programme paused from March 2020 until November that year, then home visits resumed with masks and outside.

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

Moneyweb /  🏆 5. in ZA

South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

“Give Them an Opportunity To Rectify”: Middle Child Feels Unseen by Parents, Expert AdvisesA middle child said he feels like a black sheep in his family. The young man highlighted how his parents always compliment his siblings. An expert weighs in.
Read more »

Parents protest at ‘severe educational neglect’ at Theresa Park Secondary SchoolParents are outraged as Theresa Park Secondary School faces overcrowding crisis, and accusing the education department of neglect and silence.
Read more »

Vivian Reddy visits his parents’ tombstone [watch]How the tombstone of a billionaire's parents looks - Vivian Reddy visited his parents' gravesite and showed their tombstones.
Read more »

Parents Celebrate Daughter's Monthly Milestones with Cake in Heartwarming TikTok VideoJohannesburg parents document their unique way of celebrating their daughter's growth. A video on TikTok shows them giving their baby cake for each month.
Read more »

Nigerian army hunts for kidnapped students, parents seek answers - SABC NewsThe kidnappings are tearing apart families and communities.
Read more »

Maynier urges parents, caregivers to vote in upcoming SGB electionsSGBs are instrumental in shaping the school's policies, including admission and language policies and contribute to the formulation of the school's constitution and mission statement, as well as establishing the code of conduct and disciplinary procedures.
Read more »