Parenting has its own charms and difficulties. The biggest concern is to see your child growing healthy and normal.
Your child should also be able to interact with the things in the environment. The need and urge to socially interact with other individuals in society is a basic and dire need of humans.
As a parent, you are always interested in knowing how to improve the social skills of a child? We are here to help you in this regard but let’s just start with understanding social skills.
Table of Contents
What are Social Skills?
Social skills are the ones that a person adopts to communicate with one another.
These skills are not innate and one has to acquire them over the passage of time.
A person’s success is dependent on emotional intelligence more than his intelligence quotient.
Social skills are not only conducive but are necessary for survival in society.
What are the Signs of Social Anxiety?
There are certain signs and symptoms that your child can show if your child is not good at social interactions.
- If your child is having difficulty interacting with other children
- If your child is having an oddly limited number of friends
- If the child is engaged in a world of his own
- If your child is preferring to stay alone and doesn’t want to play with other children of his/her age.
- If your child doesn’t make eye contacts
- If your child is not following the necessary directions.
These signs may indicate that your child needs counselling and your child might be seeking attention or your child might be suffering from anxiety and depression.
If you observe any of the above symptoms then it is necessary to address the situation accordingly.
If a child is suffering from depressive disorders then this is what parents need to know.
Ways To Develop The Social Skills
Now coming towards the question: how to develop social skills?
Following are some proven ways that can help to develop the social skills of your child.
1- Negotiate
Negotiation is found to be a key factor to improve the social skills of kids.
Social skills once again to mention are the ones that a child acquires with the passage of time.
If there is something bothering your child then you should be the first one he/ she will be sharing the details with.
This will not only help to develop their confidence in them but they will also feel more comfortable sharing tiny details with you. In this way, their introverted nature will be changed.
If you give them the necessary confidence and push that they should share the details that are bothering them then they will not hesitate in sharing the things with other people as well.
According to the top reviewed Pediatrician in Lahore, Dr. Nida Badar “If your child feels hesitant then break the ice by asking questions on your own. These might be very simple and basic questions.”
This may include asking how’s their day at school? Or what they would like for dinner?
This will help to develop the necessary confidence in them. The surveys conducted by Harvard law school have shown surprising benefits of negotiating with your kids. As negotiation helps to develop social skills in kids.
2- Boost their Self Esteem
Parents should not be quick in judging their children. In Fact, if you think that your child has done something wrong then instead of being hyper and frustrated go out to approach them in a friendly manner.
Children often share their things with their friends more than with their parents because they think that they will not be quick in judging them.
So the same goes with the parents, offering a helping hand if they have done something wrong or offering a listening ear to why they did that thing in that way will help to boost their self-esteem and confidence.
3- Provide the Conducive Environment
You should provide your child with the conducive and encouraging environment
Provide them with the company of good friends and people. Visit the recreational parks along with them. If they feel hesitant in interacting with other children, hold your nerves.
Give them time so that they can feel comfortable. Once they acclimatize with the environment they will be good to go.
An environment where there are lots of other people is essential to develop the personality of a child. In this way, the child will be able to understand the plethora of emotions and varying styles. This will give a child the chance to feel normal within immediate surroundings and will also help to improve the social skills of kids.
4- Don’t Overburden Them
There is no need to overburden them with the standards of society. It has been observed that parents often want their children to perform extraordinary all the time.
It is a reality and there is no shame in it. It is good that you want your child to excel in the fields of life but that doesn’t mean that you have to overburden them with the standards of society.
It is necessary to note that every flower blooms at a specific time no matter what the external conditions.
To understand their capacities and limits and try to develop a positive environment around them.
Demoralizing a child will not do any good to the child nor will it help you in any regard. So it is crucial to maintain the limits.
Side: There are 10 important things that your child needs for healthy growth and happy life.
5- Make them Independent
It is necessary to understand the term first. Making them independent means that they don’t always have to look up to you for their smallest desires and wishes.
Set them free at least within the home and the nearby vicinity. This can help to develop the long-lost confidence and will help them with their socially introverted nature
If they want to go outside, let them go.
If you are at a grocery shop then let them choose the biscuit or the snack that they like.
Let them pay for their snacks by handing them the necessary cash.
In this way, you will develop the necessary confidence and trust in them.
They will try to interact with their environment and with people as well. They will develop the confidence in them that will help to improve the social skills of kids in one way or another.
But in all cases do set a few rules and regulations that will help to make sure that the child doesn’t go derail.
6- Give them the Necessary Time
In the light of the above discussion, it is pretty much evident that the parents have a great responsibility to play in every part of the life of a child. From schooling to day-to-day rituals and routines it is necessary to give them time.
But many people are bothered by the question of how they can interact with kids? Well, there are plenty of ways to interact with them.
Make appropriate changes in your schedule that will provide you with enough time to inquire about them.
On weekends make sure to play with them by considering the above-mentioned ways. Giving them attention makes them feel special.
Children often need this affirmation that they are special to their parents especially. Do this by taking out time for them.
That is the way of telling them that they are unique. This will entail the confidence in your children making them more interactive socially.
The Final Takeaway
It is necessary to make your child feel comfortable with the surroundings and the things around them.
The above-mentioned ways can be adopted to make their social awkwardness less significant and to improve the social skills of kids. If you feel that your child is still not responsive then it is essential to take out the time and book an appointment with the best psychologist. To read more on such issues, visit our website healthwire.
