WESTERVILLE, Ohio — There's a new, local resource for so-called "pandemic parents" of babies and toddlers. For little ones born over the last couple of years, spending a lot of time away from other people is all they've ever known.
That’s why two moms teamed up to create a safe space for kids to grow and learn.
From curious crawlers to expressive little faces, twice a week this describes some of the scenes inside a Westerville dance studio.
Marisa Hendrickson and Allie Rosenberg, who are both speech-language pathologists, lead the activities with their own toddlers by their sides.
“We were looking for opportunities for socialization for our babies and there was not much out there so we just decided to create our own thing,” said Hendrickson.
That thing became a business called “the gab lab."
"Bringing moms, nannies, caregivers, dads, whoever it is the opportunity to come in and have a fun exciting experience but also give them those tools to promote speech and language development at home,” said Rosenburg.
Through sensory play babies and toddlers work on moving, sorting, pouring, and pinching different objects and materials. And small groups allow kids and parents to connect.
In many ways the gab lab is more for parents or grandparents than it is for kids.
“That's another bonus,” said Rosenberg.
They created the gab lab at a time they were feeling isolated during the pandemic -- and concerned that their children were lacking important social interactions with other kids.
There is research underway to show what kind of effect the pandemic has had on early child development.
“There are a few studies that are starting to come out that are showing that children born during the pandemic do have some delays at those infant milestones specifically in motor skills as well as language and personal social skills,” said Dr. Amy Newmeyer, Division Chief of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
“There’s a lot we don’t know yet. The thought is that a couple different things could be impacting that. One would be children are around other children their age, less. Whether that’s because daycares are closed and children are at home, less exposure to extended family or grandparents you might typically have been seeing them more often or cousins and friends."
Another challenge for parents: there isn't a COVID vaccine available for this age group. So finding a way to socialize, can be tricky.
"It's a constant worry about making sure she's safe and picking activities we feel are going to be beneficial for her and also safe,” said Emily Moersdorf, a parent of a 14-month old. “The small group type of stuff where people are taking safety into concern and also their mental health and development is really important.”
"Marisa and I both feel like we're at a point in the pandemic where we need to do what's best for our kids and that includes starting to get them out there in a safe way and we truly feel like this is a really safe responsible way to get your kid out there,” Rosenberg said.
Two pandemic parents, providing an opportunity for others alike.
Dr. Newmeyer adds it's important to set aside time every day to work on social skills with your child. That could include reading a book together or pointing out different colors of objects around you.
“While the child’s playing with blocks: ‘here’s the blue block’ and ‘here’s the green block,’ so just doing lots of talking and labeling,” she said. “Also that play really helps with those social skills so where kids might learn colors and shapes and numbers from let’s say an educational app or a TV show, we really want that interactive play to help with those social skills as well.”
She said if you have any concerns about your child's development it's best to talk to your pediatrician.