5 Ways To Improve Your Child’s Social Skills
Your little ones face many challenges the day they open their eyes in
this material world. Developing social skills and interacting with the
world around them will be a critical part of their success and
happiness, even more important than their academic results. Are you
ready to help them develop the desired social skills?
For
example: talking effectively, interacting with strangers, starting a
conversation, listening, getting along, being responsible for their
behaviour, making friends (and keeping them too), dealing with
uncomfortable situations, teasing, bullying, awkwardness or
unpopularity, bonding, interacting, accepting and finding acceptance,
empathizing, and giving compliments, etc.
Some kids are naturally more socially adept than
others. Nevertheless, socialising is an art one is mastering every
single day of growing up. Teaching your children pick up social skills
and communicate well is a big task for parents. Here’s help:
5 Ways to improve social skills in kids:
1. Encourage eye-contact
When talking to somebody, encourage your children to look into their
eyes and talk for effective communication and to build confidence. Your
toddlers may need practice every day to master this art. Try games like
‘staring contest,’ tell your children to talk to their soft toys, or
tell you stories looking into your eyes.
2. Teach them emotions
Let your children imitate a variety of emotions—joy, anger,
disappointment, excitement, mischief, weirdness, nervousness, tiredness,
terror, danger, etc. Play ‘identify the emotion’ game by making faces
or holding placards of different smiley. This helps them differentiate
emotions and express better; and not get confused when mingling with
other kids or people. “To teach them emotions, it is important that you
also communicate to your kids what makes you happy and sad, so when they
misbehave I make a straight face and tell them upfront that I am
upset,” shares Anita, a proud mother of two boys.
3. Make them communicate
Verbal or non-verbal, your children should learn to express,
interact, and respond to social stimulus. Help your children learn
appropriate greetings and responses. Kids may need help or guidance to
interact with others appropriately, to overcome shyness, to manage a
response, and express true feelings. Let your children know that they
are free to talk, ask, question, and communicate their needs, desires,
beliefs and ideas. As parents and grandparents, talk to them every day
and make generous use of words like ‘please,’ ‘let’s,’ ‘thank you,’
‘common,’ etc.
4. Give them the environment
A lonely child may have difficulty in interacting with the world.
Give your children good company, exposure, and chances to interact with
different types of people. Kids with social skill deficits often have
trouble reading expressions and interacting socially. So activities that
get them more comfortable with these situations are a great idea.
Playschools, hobby classes, playgrounds, sports activities, etc., will
give them a chance to socialise. When kids mingle with other kids or
elders, they develop a range of interpersonal skills that become the
foundation of their personality.
5. Prepare them for higher social skills
A child who can communicate and express himself/herself fearlessly is
armed to face the challenges when he/she grows up to tackle complex
situations. Let your children maintain good communication channels, and
pick up skills like negotiation, conflict resolution, non-verbal
communication, assertiveness, bargaining, public-speaking, etc. “My
seven-year-old can write emails to his dad, I am glad they have
discovered a new means to interact,” says Neha B, a homemaker.
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