Jonas Wallman has worked in the profession for 20 years.
He has written a book on leisure pedagogical learning and he has previously been named Leisure Educator of the Year by the Swedish Teachers' Association.
Challenge to find a business for everyone
He is not sure if children are more lonely today, but he believes that we have become better at paying attention to the problem.
He believes that the biggest challenge in today's business is to find a business that suits everyone.
- For those who want to hang out in a group and do things together but also for those who may need time for themselves and do things individually, it is a challenge for us, says Jonas Wallman.
How to discover lonely children in leisure time?
- We must become better at observing.
You can have a person who is active with the children and a colleague who is more outreach, who has an ongoing function to find those who do not come in.
Then it is the case that some children can choose to be themselves and that is perfectly okay, says Jonas Wallman, and adds that it can be painful to see.
See warning signals
- It hurts a little in my heart sometimes when you see someone who chooses to be yourself, but then you have to come and ask yourself and actively investigate it.
So that you see that the child is okay with it.
It may be okay on a Tuesday afternoon, but if it happens as a pattern, we in the work team must ask the question why it will be like this?
can we do something?
he says.
Children can be ashamed of their loneliness, so what warning signs do you follow as a leisure educator?
- You know somewhere which things are popular, which things children usually pick up on.
If you discover that it is always the same that does not suck and especially if you have a little different offers then you have to pull your ears.
Most of the time, I personally try to be more outreach and check if there is something that is not right, says Jonas Wallman.