Remember those months when your child's world shrank to just home and immediate family? A surprising new study from Russia suggests that lockdown may have had a real impact on how well young children are developing their emotional skills—and the findings should matter to Singapore parents.
Researchers followed nearly 700 children aged 5 to 6 years old over one year. Some had experienced a six-month total lockdown; others hadn't. Both groups were similar in every other way: same age, same socioeconomic background, same intelligence levels. The only difference was the lockdown experience. When tested on their ability to understand emotions—recognizing feelings in others, understanding why people feel certain ways, and managing their own feelings—the results were striking.
Children in the non-lockdown group made the progress you'd expect for their age. But children who lived through lockdown barely improved at all. Their emotional development essentially stalled.
Why did this happen? The researchers believe lockdown broke what they call a "virtuous circle." Normally, children learn about emotions by interacting with lots of different people—teachers, friends, extended family, neighbors. Each interaction teaches them something new about how people feel and why. During lockdown, children's social world collapsed to just their immediate family. Without that broader exposure, their understanding of emotions didn't develop as it should.
This finding is particularly important for collectivistic societies like Singapore and much of Asia, where extended family and community play especially big roles in child-rearing. When those interactions suddenly disappeared, the impact was significant.
What does this mean for Singapore families? Even though Singapore's lockdowns were generally shorter and less strict than Russia's, many families here still experienced extended periods of isolation and limited social contact for young children. If your nursery-age child spent months at home with fewer interactions beyond immediate family, this research suggests it may have affected their emotional development—not permanently, but noticeably.
The good news? Children are remarkably resilient. The study wasn't measuring permanent damage. Rather, it showed a slowdown in development during the lockdown period. With normal social interactions resumed, children can catch up. But this research underscores why those interactions matter so much right now.
What should you do about it?
- Prioritize social time now. Make sure your nursery-age child has regular chances to play with peers, spend time with extended family, and interact with different adults. These interactions are how children learn to read emotions, understand different perspectives, and develop social skills. It's not just fun—it's developmental essential.
- Talk about feelings deliberately. Since some children may have missed these learning opportunities during lockdown, you can help by naming emotions throughout the day. "Grandpa looks sad today," "Your friend felt frustrated when the blocks fell down." This narration helps children build their emotional vocabulary and understanding.
- Don't stress about "catching up." If you notice your child is still a bit behind peers in emotional understanding, it doesn't mean there's a problem. Simply ensuring they have rich social experiences now—school, play dates, family gatherings—will support their development naturally. You don't need special training; normal childhood experiences are the best teacher.
The Russian research reminds us that young children need more than just parents and caregivers. They need exposure to the wider world, to different people, different reactions, and different ways of being. As Singapore continues to open up and nurseries operate normally, make the most of those opportunities. Your child's emotional development depends on it.