11 Amazing Ways To Develop Your Child’s Social Skills From Home

By
Mercy Ekele
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Social skills are important for your child to develop. There are many ways you can help your children improve their social skills.

Here are some ways to improve your child’s social skills:

  1. Explain personal space

One of the basics of social skills involves personal space. Young children may fail to understand everyone has a personal space bubble that should be respected.

2. Teach empathy

Empathy is another important basic of social skills. A young child’s perspective is limited. Children may struggle to understand how to put themselves in another person’s shoes. Try to make an effort to help children understand empathy.

3. Help your child understand how to have a conversation

Basic conversation skills are vital to social development. Young children are often unsure of how to have a conversation, and may be prone to interrupting conversations or ignoring what’s being said. Talk to your children about basic conversation skills.

Read also: 12 Simple Manners Every Child Should Know

4. Teach about basic manners
Children often do not know basic manners, so these are important to teach as well. Explain to them how important it is to say please, thank you, excuse me, and other forms of common courtesy. This will show children how to convey positive manners.

5. Talk about expressing wants and needs

Children may often accidentally say insulting things when trying to express wants and needs.

For example, your daughter may tell her older brother he’s mean if he doesn’t give her a turn during a game. Teach children how to appropriately tell others what they want and need.

6. Read to your child
Reading fiction has been shown to help foster feelings of empathy in both children and adults.
You can go for high-quality literary children’s stories over popular fiction, as characters are often less developed in works designed for a mass audience. This can help your children learn better social skills throughout life.
7. Model good behavior
A great way to help your child understand social skills is to simply model good behavior yourself. Be respectful of others during your day-to-day life.
When you pick your child up after school, be kind and courteous to other parents, teachers, and school officials. Children look up to their parents and will pick up on good habits from observing you.

8. Play games that encourage eye contact

Eye contact is also an important social skill. In western culture, the ability to maintain eye contact shows someone that you are listening and paying attention. Play games that teach children how to maintain eye contact.

9. Support friendships

Friendships are important to a child’s social development. In order to help your child develop social skills, support his or her friendships. Help them blossom and develop.

10. Have them play team sports

Research shows important social skills, like leadership and empathy, can be learned through team sports. If your child is interested in sports, consider enrolling them in a little league team of some kind.

Read also: 16 Simple Discipline Methods That Are Normal For Child Upbringing

11. Get your child involved in extracurriculars

Social skills

Extracurriculars can be a great way to encourage kids to develop social skills. Encourage your kids to join clubs at school or get involved in local organizations.

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Photo credit: Getty