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Is your child a young man from high society or struggling with loneliness? One of the best gifts you can give as a parent is teaching him how to get along with others. Start the conversation with these 15 tips to improve your child’s social skills.
Children are not born with social skills. Multiple studies agree that children learn these behaviors from birth to preschool years and beyond. Additionally, children who can better read the situations and responses of others enjoy stronger friendships and feel less alone. We will explore the habits that you can instill in your child to help him develop this skill set.
15 Ways You Can Help Strengthen Your Child’s Social Skills
Here are fifteen things you can do to make sure your child learns to interact positively with others.
1. Improve your social skills
If you want your child to learn good social skills, you must have good skills yourself. Regardless of the social habits you model, your child will follow. Do you socialize well with others or could you need improvement?
The next time you talk to friends or family, notice how engaged you are in the conversation. Are you playing an active role and reflecting the emotions of others? Are you actively listening or are you a wallflower?
Remember that your child is watching and probably imitate you in their social situations.
2. Encourage him to ask questions
Practice conversations and teach him how to ask open-ended questions, which requires more than “yes” or “no.” Instead of asking, “Do you like to play video games?” asks: “What are your favorite video games to play?” Good open-ended questions usually start with who, what, why, when, and how.
3. Play Make-Believe together
Playing fantasy is the first socialization game that children learn. Not only does it teach them empathy, it encourages creativity and individuality. Wouldn’t childhood be lonely without the wonderful Land of Imagination?
Stimulate your child’s imagination and play pretend with him. Maybe she’s a beautiful princess who rules a flower fairy land, or maybe she’s a warrior protecting her homeland from invading goblins. Pretending is essential to developing social skills, creativity, and discovery of the world around you.
4. make play dates
Sometimes you hear your child mention one or two names of children from school or from his social circle. Do you take the time to talk to her about her friends? Have you met any of their friends or their families?
One of the best ways to teach your child good social skills is to observe how he interacts with his peers. Get to know their friends and parents and schedule play time for the children to build trust and friendship. Occasionally, you can set up virtual dates so children can chat online, with supervision.
5. Explore hobbies and other interests
When your child learns to pursue a passion, he will have something of interest to discuss with others. Even the youngest children can have favorite hobbies and things they are interested in exploring.
Talk about the things that make you happy or that interest you. Your only limitation is your imagination. It can be anything from reading, music, art, sports, games, or anything else fun. Then you can talk to other children with similar interests.
6. Play socially interactive games
Do you remember the old days before video games came along? Traditional games are excellent tools for teaching children to interact with others.
They can cultivate critical thinking and teach them the proper ways to take turns. Take out some classic board games from your childhood and show the new generation how to have fun without technology.
If you and your family have an affinity for electronics, you can also find appropriate video games to play with your child. You can also set times when you can play video games with your siblings or friends.
Video games can improve your child’s social skills if the game is moderate and does not replace playing with children in person.
7. Adopt a pet
If your child is complaining of loneliness and boredom, why not adopt a family pet? Local shelters are full of loving cats and dogs waiting for a forever home. Also, taking care a pet can offer lessons to your child on responsibility, empathy and playful interaction.
You may need to help with the new pet, depending on your child’s age. The little ones can help feed and water the pets and play with them. Consider your family’s lifestyle and schedule before you commit to adopting a pet. Some pets require more care than others.
8. Role play to understand the problems
What if your child has trouble socializing at school or other gatherings? Should you be frank with your observations and tell her that she is too shy and needs to talk more? This approach can aggravate it, and it may get deeper into your shell.
Instead, approach the topic sensitively and role-play. Act like you’re a kid and the two of you just met. There may be awkward silence at first, but you can give some gentle suggestions and start a conversation.
9. Teach and model empathy
If you are not an empathetic person, you cannot expect your child to be. Empathy is a trait that children learn from their parents and other important adults. It is much easier to teach your child how to empathize with others when he sees your example.
To teach your child how to be sensitive to other people’s feelings, ask questions like “How would you feel if that happened to you?” or “How do you think Susie felt when you made a face at her?” Allowing your child to put himself in someone else’s shoes helps teach him social skills and empathy.
10. Know your child’s limits
Remember that your child is an individual and not everyone is a social butterfly. Some children are natural introverts that they feel comfortable spending time alone. If your child is uncomfortable in a crowd, learn to socialize in smaller groups.
Children also improve their social skills as they mature. Little ones can finish playing with each other after an hour or two, while tweens and teens can spend all day laughing and talking. Know your child’s personality and respect his limits.
11. Teach her limits and personal space
You may hear your older child complain about the house rules, but that is normal. Did you know that even when children complain, limits make them feel more secure and loved? Children should be taught limits and personal space at an early age.
Teach your child that everyone has a personal “bubble” they stay in, which makes them feel comfortable. Talk to them about appropriate contact and conversations and how to respect other people’s spaces. Not only does it better social skillsBut you can minimize conflict in their adult lives.
12. Teach him to listen
By nature, younger children are self-absorbed due to their limited knowledge of the world around them. While teaching them how to socialize with others, an excellent ability to explain is how be a good listener. Some adults have not yet learned the fine art of truly listening to what others are saying.
Give age-appropriate instructions on how to let the other person speak and share the speaker’s emotions. Practice using examples and replaying conversations to learn to listen to what is being said and repeat it in your own words.
13. Teach about sharing and taking turns
Kindergarten actually teaches you lessons that lay the foundation for your adult life. Sharing does not come naturally to children, and you must teach and model it.
When your child learns to share and take turns, it is a big step in early socialization patterns. This is where empathy comes in. Ask your child how he feels when someone shares with him or lets him have a turn.
You’ll learn that sharing makes everyone happy and makes spending time together more enjoyable.
14. Encourage your child to be himself
Always remind your child that there is no one else like him in the world. While it’s fun to pretend to be superheroes, movie stars, or other idolized people, tell him that his best role is to be himself.
Increase your child’s confidence by offering sincere and specific compliments. Let him know that if someone does not want to be his friend, it is the loss of the other person. Confident children are more likely to socialize better.
15. Teach him to read social signs
Children do not automatically receive social signals. It takes years of practice to read facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice. However, you can practice with your child and give him some examples of situations when considering someone’s feelings before speaking.
Final thoughts on improving children’s social skills
Teaching your child how to interact with others in positive ways can be challenging, but it is worth the effort. The lessons you learn in the early years can dictate things as an adult.
It is never too early to start the learning process with play dates and other interactions. A well-rounded child will know how to socialize well and it will prove beneficial in adulthood.
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