Most kids of previous generations were raised in an entirely different environment than what is prominent today—thanks to the rapid scale of urbanization. Those kids have wonderful memories of playing outside with friends, spending quality time with neighbors, watching sunsets and sunrises, etc. While these experiences were a common part of every child’s life back then, the scenario has entirely flipped for the present generation of children. Today’s kids live mostly in concrete jungles with little to no natural landscape around.
Their social interactions have become limited because of closed apartments, food habits have changed drastically because of easy accessibility to junk and outside food, and most of their time is spent sitting in front of screens for education or leisure purposes. While these changes may be viewed as signs of societal development by some, we at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, recognized as the best school in Gurgaon, believe it has a significant impact on kids’ overall development. If you’re curious about how urbanization affects your child’s development, the following points will solve your doubts.
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Effect on Physical Health
Many urban areas have limited outdoor spaces for playing and other physical activities like jogging. Even if parks are available near residential properties, they are either small, crowded, and unfit for security reasons. As a result, children experience limited physical activities and become vulnerable to lifestyle diseases like obesity. Restricted mobility is one of the biggest disadvantages of urbanization, and it exposes children to numerous health hazards.
The only way to overcome this challenge is to enroll children in a community sports program (if any) or a sports facility with expert trainers in different fields. Parents must focus on increasing their children’s physical activities through regular exercises, long walks, body stretching, and other useful activities to keep their health in check.
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Restricted Social Development and Interaction
While urbanization has its fair share of benefits, it doesn’t offer reasonable grounds to ignore the associated drawbacks. Kids in towns and villages had the privilege to hone their social skills by interacting with their neighbors, nearby friends, and other community members. Parents allowed their kids to go out and socialize because people knew each other and there was a sense of security and belongingness.
Today, while kids living in gated communities interact with their neighbors, their talks are minimal. The situation can be more challenging if parents work in the government sector and change cities every few years. It has compelled many children to spend time by browsing the internet, holding online conversations, e-meeting new people, etc. The result is diminished social skills.
At Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, we believe parents can overcome this developmental challenge by organizing regular family-time rituals for their kids. It can include anything from discussing how their day went, talking about trending news, playing games, singing, cooking together, and much more.
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Enhanced Learning Opportunities
The biggest reason why people prefer settling in an urbanization landscape is because it offers greater access to learning opportunities. Your kids can visit science museums, join debate clubs, participate in cultural fests, visit libraries, etc., to support their learning journey. These options are typically unavailable to those living far from urbanized localities. The abundance of these learning opportunities helps kids strengthen their academic muscles and thrive in their adult years.
However, kids receiving these facilities also become easy targets of peer pressure and rising academic competition, affecting their mental health. We recommend parents to create a secure home environment where kids can freely share their wins and failures, mitigating the adverse effects caused by excessive pressure.
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Remarkable Global Awareness and Cultural Inclusivity
21st-century kids need strong intellectual muscles to thrive in today’s competitive environments, and this cannot be fostered without adequate global awareness and knowledge about different cultures. Since urbanized landscapes are melting pots of different cultures, ideas, perspectives, etc., kids develop fast in terms of their intellectual standing. This single benefit can help them navigate competitive environments easily and with minimal hassles.
This exposure also prepares them mentally for participating in a global workforce filled with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Parents are advised to leverage this opportunity for their kids by encouraging them to explore different cultures through their food, language, festivals, and other shared experiences that bring out the best in them.
Conclusion
There are both benefits and negatives of raising kids in urbanized landscapes. It is up to parents to identify how this environment is impacting their kids and leveraging it for their overall growth and development. While there are numerous aspects to a child’s development, we at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, regarded as the best school in Gurugram, would like to recommend paying special attention to their physical, emotional, and mental development. If you’re struggling to raise kids holistically in such landscapes, you can look for relevant parent groups online with similar challenges and collaborate with them to identify viable solutions. It will make your journey easier while ensuring your kids are getting the optimal benefits of growing in an urbanized landscape.