Important Social Skills for Children and How to Nurture Them

Children are taught a lot in school. They attend classes for subjects like science, English, math, and more. But some of the most important lessons that are taught in schools don’t actually come from textbooks.

Social skills, or a person’s ability to talk to others, manage difficult emotions, and share, can be just as important as academics. These are the skills that help children make new friends, work well with others, and feel good about themselves.

Social skills are important for children. But the good news is that social skills can be taught and practiced so that you or your children can keep learning and growing. These are some of the most important social skills that children can develop and how you can nurture them.

Communication

Communication is a key component and core pillar of all types of healthy relationships. Being able to talk openly and express yourself is huge, but something equally important is listening. And there’s a big difference between listening and active listening. When a child shows strong communication skills, it means that they:

• Know how to speak openly, honestly, and clearly about their thoughts and feelings
• Ask questions
• Comfortable saying how they feel
• Listen without interrupting others
• Understand body language

Cooperation

Cooperation, being able to share, and knowing how to work well with others are other signs of social skills that children need to learn. Sharing is an important skill that usually develops in young children. Sharing toys and playing on the playground with others can lead to working on school projects with classmates. Cooperation means that your child has no problem sharing, taking turns, and compromising.

Empathy

Empathy means that you’re able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, even if you may not fully agree with where a person is coming from. Being empathetic just means that you are more likely to notice when a loved one is upset or understand why someone may be upset. Empathy helps children develop other important skills that can go hand in hand, like kindness, thoughtfulness, and support.

Problem-Solving

Things won’t always go smoothly. Arguments and disagreements are bound to happen at some point. Knowing how to stay calm, cool, and collected is a skill that helps children feel a bit more in control, especially in situations that feel out of their control. Help your child realize that this, too, shall pass. Remain calm in high-stress situations, so that you can problem-solve to figure out the next steps you can take that can help.

Self-Control

Children can have a more challenging time managing their own emotions compared to adults. This is mostly due to the fact that they may not fully understand every emotion that they’re going through when it’s happening. It’s important to help your child take breaks or pause for a moment so they can become proactive rather than reactive and actually think before they speak or react.

How to Help Your Child Develop Social Skills

Social skills aren’t something that will just magically appear overnight. It’s something that you and your child will have to work on so they can learn and grow these skills over time. Similar to anything else that you teach a child, like learning how to ride a bike, shooting a basketball, or reading a book, you have to keep practicing with them.

You can help your child build better social skills by being a good role model, playing games with them, seeking therapy for children, helping them express themselves by talking through their feelings or role-playing, and celebrating positive behaviors. Need extra support during this time? Reach out today to learn more about how working with a mental health professional can help your child develop social skills.