What You Need to Know About Child Care

Posted on: 11 September 2018

Social skills can help your child become successful in today's competitive world. With a proper understanding of how to interact with others, your child will make friends easily and have a more enjoyable time at school. If you notice that your child is having a hard time interacting with others, the following tips can help to loosen them up.

1. Teach them how to express emotion

A common reason why children struggle to make friends is that they're having trouble expressing themselves. They may not know how to show joy, anger, excitement and other common emotions that they may feel at school.

Teaching your child how to express themselves can go a long way. You can do this by going through specific scenarios and asking your child how they feel. Have them match their emotions with their facial expressions. This will make them more familiar with what other children are feeling and expressing themselves. You can also make a variety of expressions and ask your child to identify what each one means.

2. Create a conducive environment

Practice makes perfect. One of the best ways your child can improve their social skills is by interacting with other children. If they don't have siblings, take your child to the local park or playground on a regular basis. Allow them to interact with other children and to share with you their experiences. These real-life scenarios are easier to use as examples when teaching your child social skills.

3. Encourage empathy

Your child should also be considerate of what other children are feeling. They should be able to tell the effect of their actions on others. Being empathetic will help them discern the emotions of other children and react in an appropriate manner. Start by asking your child how other children would react to a specific action they took. For example, if they snatched a toy from another child, how would that child feel?

3. Teach them to wait their turn

Proper etiquette will help your child have an easier time when interacting with others. Teach them how to wait their turn when playing with a toy or using a shared item. For example, you can spend a few minutes with them each day as they colour a picture. Use the same pen that they're using and teach them how to share.

4. Provide tips for self-expression

Inform your child about how to use common pleasantries when communicating with others. Basic words like "excuse me", "please" and "thank you" can make it easier for them to interact with others.

For more information, contact your local childcare centre.