How to develop social skills in children

They also play a key role in the relationship between  individual s, groups and communities for the development of the society.Developing social skills in children enables them to have healthy interactions with other children, easily make and maintain relationships that help them with school work and other aspects of life when they become adults. According […]

They also play a key role in the relationship between  individual s, groups and communities for the development of the society.
Developing social skills in children enables them to have healthy interactions with other children, easily make and maintain relationships that help them with school work and other aspects of life when they become adults.
According to Dr Laura Markham  , “Things are even more complicated for children now, as media has introduced children to the world of adult mores before they are emotionally ready. Our children do not know, just instinctively, how to build good relationships with other children in such a culture of shifting rules.
“Luckily, healthy kids generally make healthy choices even in the context of difficult peer situations. That means that if children have good relationships at home they have a healthy head start, but they still need your help in learning to navigate a complex social world” she said.
She recommended the following ways in developing social skills in children;
Foster good social skills from toddlerhood on
This is one of the most important skill sets your child will ever develop. It is infinitely more important to her future happiness than helping her develop her intellect.

Support his friendships
 Honor and reinforce your child’s developing friendships. Talk about them, remember them, create opportunities to play. Remember that children get aggravated with each other, just as adults do. It doesn’t mean the end of a friendship, necessarily, just that they need help to work through the issues that come up.

Model respectful relating
Remember that your child will treat others as you treat her. In addition to the obvious everyday respect, that means that you give her criticism in private, not in front of others, including her friends. Which means you have to find tactful ways to talk to your young child and other kids about the way they are treating each other, to help them work out difficulties when they play together?

Teach your child that people are important
 All parents have to choose their battles, so put up with messiness and dawdling if you must, but teach your child consideration for others. Model it for him early on, praise it, help him brainstorm to solve peer problems, and don’t let your child intentionally or unintentionally disrespect another person. It you can’t confront it as it happens without embarrassing your child, be sure to talk about it later.
As kids get older, you may need to be very explicit about insisting that they acknowledge adults in their presence, as well as other kids. Often preteens and young adolescents need to be reminded of this, and to be given coaching on how to handle interactions that feel awkward to them.

Help your kids how to repair rifts in relationships
When we think about repairing relationships, we usually focus on apologizing.  But premature apologies won’t be heartfelt and may backfire by causing the child to hold a grudge. Giving them a chance to cool down first always works better.
Apologizing is a very useful friendship skill that doesn’t come easily to people in our culture. Children learn how to apologize by watching their parents. If you never apologize, they won’t either. If you apologize graciously and often, to them and to others, they will too. The secret of helping kids learn to apologize is not making the apology into a punishment.
Understand and teach the emotional intelligence skills necessary in all relationships. Examples include listening and “I” statements, which will pave the way in all your’s child’s relationships.
Experts on Wikihow  say helping children to develop these important skills requires a different set of strategies in each stage of development.

They recommend that parents should;
First demonstrate social skills to babies. Babies enjoy social interaction as demonstrated by their smiles and coos. At this stage, babies are only aware of their own needs and wishes.
Talk to babies. When they cry and make noises, respond to them in your usual language. This encourages babies to attempt to speak to you.
Encourage consideration for others. By responding to their cries and needs, you are teaching babies to be considerate to the needs of others.
Give attention and love. Kissing and holding babies is important for their social development. It’s a basic need at this stage and should not be confused with spoiling a child with too much attention.
Be calm around babies. A crying baby who has kept you up all night may leave you feeling frustrated. However, taking deep breaths and calming yourself before holding a baby will model a harmonious social environment.
They advise parents to  help toddlers to respect people and their property.
In the toddler stage, children have access to some words and basic sentences. They tend to play alone and aren’t yet good about sharing toys or other belongings.
Create a social environment in the home. Invite other parents and children over to expose toddlers to other people.
Teach toddlers basic rules. These may be to share toys, use their words when mad, and be gentle when touching people and pets.
Reward positive behaviors. When toddlers demonstrate gentleness and sharing, praise them.
Assist preschoolers to expand their circle of friends is another step in developing social skills in children.
Preschoolers can express their feelings in words and should be encouraged to make friends with other children.
Organize social events for preschoolers. To increase your pre-schooler’s social interaction, host parties in your home. Attend gatherings with other preschoolers present, and invite your neighbors to bring their preschoolers to your home.
Teach preschoolers to use their words, rather than hit. Explain why this is important. Highlight how it makes someone feel to be hit, and encourage preschoolers to apologize if they have hurt another child’s feelings.
Encourage preschoolers to talk about their feelings. Ask them to explain how they feel around other children and help them to find the words to describe their feelings.
Lastly develop social skills in school-aged children.
When children attend school, they have a built-in environment that exposes them to opportunities to interact with others, to share toys and to communicate with others about their feelings and needs.
Display good manners. Children observe and imitate adults. Teach them social skills by setting a positive example and greeting people warmly. Speaking respectfully to others in times of conflict will teach children to do the same.
Expose children to effective problem solving techniques. When a conflict occurs between children, intervene to ask how each child is feeling. Encourage children to express their feelings to one another and offer solutions for resolving the conflict.
Teach children to appreciate each other’s strengths and differences. Provide opportunities for children to display their talents and strengths, and encourage an environment in which children praise one another for strengths and positive performance.