For some children, it can come naturally, but for others, children can be susceptible to being shy and reserved in their younger years. Building social skills and developing ways for kids to communicate with others on a personal level is the cornerstone of raising strong and resilient children.
We have partnered up with a reputable boarding school in Kent to share some top tips on how to help your child socialise without it feeling too overwhelming. These suggestions can help build their confidence and communication skills at home or in the classroom.
Encourage them to take part in extracurricular activities
A lot of social skills are developed due to the way children interact with activities across the school through sports, clubs and societies. Having your child take part in events with friends will give them the chance to speak more freely and also make memories with those that are closest to them. Extracurricular activities they could try are music lessons, choir, football or athletics, to name a few.
Know your child’s limits
Every child is different and it can mean that some activities or ways to get kids involved are not what your child wants to do. There’s no need to force something if your child isn’t keen on doing something; there are plenty of things your child can get stuck into that will make them feel happier and safer instead.
Teach empathy
Teach your child to understand other people’s feelings and to look out for visual cues among others. Talk to your child about different situations where there’s the chance to think openly about a number of scenarios; sometimes your child may relate to the situation by talking about something that happened at school. And show them how to listen to others when they need their help; they may not know the answers, but knowing that they can understand another person’s feelings will show that they know how much they matter to them.
Do you have a child that has struggled to socialise? What did you do to help them?
My youngest was and still is a little bit shy. She loved the idea of after school clubs but sometimes it all got a bit too much for her. We followed her lead and let her choose what she wanted to do. I think now she has a good group of friends they give her confidence and she has come on leaps and bounds socially over the last couple of years x
Sophie has moments of being shy, especially when first meeting other children. Extracurricular activities are a good way of getting to know other children and of broadening social interaction. I do think it’s important to teach our children to be empathetic as well. That reminder that you don’t have to have the answers but to be able to listen is such an important one. #MMBC
Good tips – my kids were generally pretty sociable from when they were little
Excellent read – interaction is key
A great article and good tips my oldest was very shy but is doing well now with a small group of close friends .
I think teaching a child empathy is so important, I am always teaching my daughter especially about this but unfortunately her best friend’s mother doesn’t do the same so it can be very hard when they get together! Great article.
Good social skills are so important and often missed in bringing up children
Top tip is listen to your child and act on their wishes within reason! Try not to be overbearing or patronising as they do understand more than you might think they do, so involve them in making decisions. Learning how to take ownership of a decision is an important lesson and helps confidence builds with time and quiet patience.