PRETTY YOUNG THING

Your child’s social experiences will play a crucial role in their life, aiding their growth and development in various ways. For instance, the interactions they have when they’re young will help them when making friends at school and build healthy relationships in general. With that said, it’s important for parents to find ways to help their children develop strong social skills from as early as possible. Here are some tips from an independent school in London.

Start by trying to teach and show your child some appropriate and inappropriate ways to behave. A lot of this will be learnt through observation of you and other influential people in your child’s life, so you should always try to be a good role model around your child. Talk to your child about the importance of being polite and well-mannered when talking to someone. Teach them that when someone is talking, it is rude to interrupt. Essentially, you should explore the different elements of a healthy conversation.

You will also need to explain to your child that sometimes body language can be just as powerful as words. For instance, if a person is crying, then you know that they are sad. With that said, your child will need to learn how to determine how another person is feeling based on their actions, so that they can respond appropriately. To help, you might be able to find some flash cards of different facial expressions that you can show your child and ask them what each one means, giving examples of suitable ways to react.

Make sure that your child is given plenty of opportunities to socialise with both adults and children from a young age so that they are comfortable with it. Arrange lots of play dates and when your child is old enough, encourage them to join some extra-curricular activities so that they have a chance to meet new people and interact in different environments. Their social interactions shouldn’t always occur within the comforts of their own home, so try and mix it up as much as possible.

If you are worried about your child’s social development in any way, don’t be afraid to seek professional advice and support. You could even speak to your child’s teacher, as they may have some suggestions and will be able to help your child to their best of their abilities.