Thousands of crèches are prepared to reopen under unusual conditions, but experts and kindergarten teachers agree that the return of children is important for them and for their families, despite the constraints.
The progressive reopening of day care centers, starting on Monday, after two months in which they were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, has caused concern among parents and professionals and, in this context, Lusa heard two specialists and a representative of educators to understand how the two scales – the benefits and risks of return – balance.
Speaking to Lusa news agency, child psychiatrist Pedro Strecht admits that in the current context of the Covid-19 pandemic, parents' fears in relation to contagion are natural, but considers that the benefits overlap.
“Being away from home, creating and maintaining relationships with other adults and, above all, with children of the same age is increasingly important for most youngsters and is a priority task for day care centers and kindergartens”, he stresses.
Psychologist Inês Almeida Ramos also points out this need, considering that, from this point of view, the return of children to day care centers and kindergartens will be especially beneficial for those who do not have siblings and who have been with their parents for the last two months. .
In addition to social relationships, Pedro Strecht emphasizes that institutions are equally important to stimulate children in areas such as language, autonomy, games and graphics.
Here, the role of kindergarten teachers is particularly important, argues Luís Ribeiro, president of the Association of Childhood Education Professionals (APEI).
“The educational opportunities that are given to children from birth are extremely important for their development and these educational opportunities in the first years of life are fundamentally through quality interactions, with other children, but also with educators”, he told Lusa.
Among the professionals' representatives, the child psychiatrist and the psychologist consulted by Lusa, the advantages of reopening day care centers are recognized by everyone, who agree that the measure will also allow for returning some normality to parents.
At this level, Inês Ramos refers to parents who can now return to their jobs and Pedro Strecht explains that, during the past phase, those who were teleworking faced difficulties in combining their professional activity with the attentive care of their children.
In weighing the pros and cons, the child psychiatrist and the president of the APEI have no doubts and defend the return of children to day care centers.
Psychologist Inês Ramos is, however, more cautious and recognizes that the conditions in which day care centers will reopen can call into question the best of the youngest experience in day care centers, where children begin to learn to share and play together.
Due to the current context of the pandemic, the return to day care centers is subject to new rules, such as physical distance between children, whenever possible, or not sharing toys.
"It's very complicated, because we are telling children that everything they've learned so far is to forget", says the psychologist, admitting that the new reality will inevitably create strangeness in children, who may, on the other hand, also absorb the fear of parents.
Even so, Inês Ramos believes that the “exceptional adaptability” of children can facilitate their return and that kindergarten teachers will also be able to reinvent themselves.
Trust in professionals is one of the main appeals of the president of APEI, who says that everyone is working to ensure a safe reopening. And he adds: "If parents thought there was a quality response before, obviously it remains, because a good kindergarten teacher is good in any context."
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