6 Tips for Building your Child’s Social Skills at Home

Social skills are important for young kids to develop. These are integral to function well in society, to effectively create and maintain relationships, and ensure healthy interactions in all aspects of life. A child who is socially intelligent is one who is more likely to succeed in the future because they are capable of making conversation, they are considerate of others, and they can communicate effectively with others. The good news is that building social skills is something that parents can help their children do.

Being in school offers young kids more opportunities to socialize, mingle, and make friends with peers. This gives them more chances to sharpen and boost their social skills. But what happens outside of school? How about when schools are closed?

If you’re worried about these things, know that you shouldn’t be. There are several things you can do to continue building your child’s social skills at home!

Practice asking questions

Is your little one the shy type? Do they find it difficult to make friends because they’re too shy to start a conversation? Maybe one of the first things they need to learn is how to ask questions. 

Start coaching your little one on asking questions and making conversations by doing a role-play. Pretend to be the reporter who is asking them about the toy car or doll they’re playing with. Ask them what they like about it and why it is their favorite toy. Get them to talk more about it. Then, switch places. Get hold of another toy and let them ask similar questions or any other questions they can think of. Who knows, they might actually end up liking their role as the interviewer/reporter!

Teach them the art of starting a conversation

Starting a conversation or getting someone’s attention or joining a group of kids playing together isn’t always easy for kids. But they can learn this art with practice. Teach your little one how to properly approach another kid or a group of kids. Teach them the right greetings, the right things to say, and how to say them. Then practice this at any random moment during the day, over the dinner table, or in the middle of playtime. Use real-life scenarios and see how they’ll respond.

Watch TV shows together

There are plenty of kid’s TV shows that present opportunities for conversations. Leverage these shows during their screen time to analyze and discuss the interactions between characters. Watch TV as a family and find segments within the show that can spark conversations. Let them also observe facial gestures and behaviors and take cues from those.

Use picture cards

Because not everything about social skills is verbal, it’s important that children learn about nonverbal skills, too. One of the things that can help are picture cards. Use picture cards that show various body languages and facial expressions. Let them practice interpreting what a person feels based on visual cues. This will help them tell whether a person is sad, angry, bored, happy or frustrated. 

Understand tone

Tone also plays an important role in communication. One statement may have any one of several different meanings, based on how it is delivered. This is why it’s important that kids learn how to understand and interpret tone when building social skills. 

To practice, use a tape recorder or voice record on your mobile phone to record different emotions. Use only one statement but deliver it in different ways with varying tone and feelings. Then, let your child identify the emotions that come along with each delivery. For example, you can say “I want pizza!” and use an excited tone, angry tone, bored tone and so on.

Enhance their attention span

Having better social skills means longer attention spans. And children aren’t really great at being attentive and focusing on one thing for a significant amount of time. But don’t worry, it’s a skill they can learn. Pick one topic you can talk about and say three sentences – 2 sentences pertaining to the topic and one that’s off-topic. Let them analyze and identify which one isn’t related to the topic.

Developing social skills should be part of a child’s holistic and healthy growth and development. If you want your little one to grow up to be a socially intelligent individual, follow these tricks to building your child’s social skills at home. For more parenting tips or if you’re looking for the best preschool for your little one, please visit Imagine Nation Learning Center.

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How to Beat Cabin Fever: 6 Kid-Friendly Activities You Should Try

Cabin fever is a popular term used to describe a person’s reaction to being confined or isolated over a prolonged period. It is usually associated with feelings of irritability and restlessness and manifests in both adults and children alike.

There are various kinds of circumstances by which cabin fever symptoms may occur. One good example is the situation we’re in now; the one that’s brought upon us by the pandemic. 

If your child is experiencing cabin fever as a result of quarantine, lockdown, and social distancing, know that you’re not alone in this. The good news is that there are several ways to combat the anxiety your little one may be feeling. Read on and learn how to help your child beat cabin fever.

Indoor games

There’s no better way to combat cabin fever than by increasing physical activity and moving your body! Your kids may be confined inside the house but it doesn’t mean that fun should be limited. There are several games the family can play inside the house that do not create a mess.

You can have scavenger hunts or indoor treasure hunts! You can also try playing object hide and seek and make it more exciting by adding a twist to it. Maybe you can add clues and describe the hidden object with one adjective. Set a time limit to add a little pressure and excitement to the game. 

Kitchen activities

Getting busy in the kitchen is always fun. Not only is it an excellent way to beat cabin fever but it’s also a perfect parent and child bonding activity. 

Why don’t you carve out time for cooking and baking? Look for kid-friendly recipes online which you can replicate with your child. Bake some cookies or cupcakes. Be sure to encourage their participation and get them involved in the process by doing simple steps such as mixing and decorating. Give them a free hand on decorating the cookies as if they were pieces of art or choosing what color of sprinkles to use atop the cupcakes!

Arts and crafts

Imaginative activities such as arts and crafts are another great idea for killing boredom when children are home. Provide your little one with materials to work on such as recycled paper, cans and plastic bottles. Give them coloring tools as well as space to do their works of art. Let their imagination run wild and give them the liberty to create anything they can think of from scratch, unless they seek help for ideas, of course.

Not only are these activities great for keeping them entertained but they are also great ways to help foster creativity in young kids.

A walk down memory lane

Kids love to look at old photos as much as adults do. So, while you’re all home and enjoying more family time, bring out photo albums and have your little one look at the photos of their younger selves. The nostalgia this activity brings offers the perfect opportunity for storytelling and reminiscing the most precious moments from when you first held them in your arms. 

Household chores

There’s no better time to teach kids about household chores than during a vacation from school. Doing a few simple things around the house can instill in kids some valuable lessons. These include a sense of responsibility, independence, and patience. Incorporate age-appropriate chores in your child’s day to day activities at home.

If they are too young to do a big kid’s chores, have them tackle the simplest tasks such as organizing their toys or fixing their bed. If they can handle bigger stuff, ask them to do more stuff around the kitchen or help out with the cleaning or gardening. 

Storytelling and book reading

Another fun learning activity you may want to encourage for your kids to beat cabin fever is reading storybooks. Reading offers an extensive range of benefits to children. It helps develop their cognitive skills and foster their creativity and imagination. Carve out time for reading and storytelling while school is out. Who knows, you might awaken a lifelong love for reading.

It might get you worried to see your little one showing signs of restlessness or anxiety or irritability but don’t worry. There are several cures to beat cabin fever and these are some of the activities you may want to try.

Need more parenting tips or are you looking for the best quality early childhood education for your child? Please visit Imagine Nation Learning Centers.

 

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