{"id":15353,"date":"2020-04-06T17:35:26","date_gmt":"2020-04-06T17:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/campfire.org\/blog\/article\/10-ways-to-invest-in-kids-while-youre-social-distancing\/"},"modified":"2023-02-14T22:11:46","modified_gmt":"2023-02-14T22:11:46","slug":"10-ways-to-invest-in-kids-while-youre-social-distancing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/campfire.org\/blog\/article\/10-ways-to-invest-in-kids-while-youre-social-distancing\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Ways to Invest in Kids…While You\u2019re Social Distancing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Camp Fire is part of the<\/span> #InvestinKids<\/span><\/a> campaign, a movement by 12 leading youth organizations to encourage people to give their voice, time and dollars to our country\u2019s youth. And we\u2019re all having to get creative about how to invest in kids when we\u2019re social distancing to protect each other from the coronavirus. You can always<\/span> invest your dollars<\/span><\/a>, but when it comes to investing our voices and time…we\u2019re all figuring out how to do that at a distance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Social distancing has drastically changed everyday life for most Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some families with children are spending much more time together at home. Other parents are spending long hours providing needed community services while family and friends help care for their out-of-school children. Teachers and positive youth development staff around the country are discovering how to keep kids engaged and growing remotely in real-time.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What hasn\u2019t changed? The fact that <\/span>kids need us<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Social distancing doesn\u2019t dim our need for positive relationships. Social scientists say that thriving kids\u2014and adults!\u2014all have one thing in common: <\/span>strong, supportive relationships<\/span><\/a>. Research shows that children who have a network of stable connections with the adults in their lives have better academic outcomes, higher <\/span>social-emotional skills<\/span><\/a> and lower rates of risky behavior.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"But not every kid has that supportive web of positive adult relationships. And now that many children are out of school and isolated at home, what web there was may be stretched thin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Studies conducted long before the pandemic showed that 22 percent of middle and high school students reported having <\/span>no<\/span><\/i> supportive relationships with adults in their lives. Eighteen percent said they just had one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Caring adults can step into that gap\u2014at a safe distance!\u2014to make sure children are supported during this time. At Camp Fire, we\u2019ve appreciated the Search Institute\u2019s <\/span>research on \u201cdevelopmental relationships\u201d<\/span><\/a>\u2014or positive, supportive relationships with adults that help kids thrive. True to form, they quickly came out with <\/span>a checklist of 19 things adults can do to support kids during the COVID-19 crisis.\u00a0<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Based on their <\/span>Developmental Relationships Framework<\/span><\/a>, their list is organized by the five elements supportive relationships include: Express Care, Challenge Growth, Provide Support, Share Power, and Expand Possibilities. (Get their handy framework PDF<\/span> here<\/span><\/a> in Spanish and English!) Inspired by their list, we wanted to add some more ideas of our own:<\/span><\/p>\n

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Here are 10 more<\/i> ways to #investinkids while social distancing:<\/h2>\n

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Express Care: <\/b>Show kids that they matter to you.<\/span><\/p>\n