Developing Good Social Skills in Children
Social skills assist children in making friends, getting along with others, and succeeding in life.
It may not have been more than two years ago when I had the opportunity to listen to an elder at a gathering. At that time I was not only well aware of communication skills but also working on them. This old man was an uneducated seventy-year-old who had hardly ever touched a pen in his life. While listening to him, I felt that this elder seemed extremely trained in speaking and was applying very well all the principles that I had read about somewhere but had never been able to apply.
His voice was very bold as if he had practised for a long time, there were certain pauses in the delivery of the words, giving full justice to the sounds of the letters of each word. His art of eye contact and taking the crowd under control was amazing. The style of talking was even more attractive. In short, he was speaking and the crowd was listening very quietly and it seemed to me that this gathering was in his hands, he had the power to take it wherever he wanted.
Why does today’s generation have such poor social skills?
For a while, I compared today’s educated generation with those who graduated from very good educational institutions within communication, but I did not see such skills in anyone. Educators whose job is it, but I have not seen any such expert. Here the question arises where do our educated people lose their speaking skills and they are not able to express themselves in a good way? Our teachers cannot explain properly in the classroom and our scientists write very well but are not good enough speakers to do justice to any matter. I think the biggest problem in this is a lack of listening and speaking practices.
I asked one such elder about his childhood and he replied — There was a big room in our house where we used to sit till late at night and elders used to gossip and tell stories. Children also used to sit with elders and listen to these stories. Because it is very important to listen before speaking. And these people have listened to their elders for years, so their ways of speaking and meeting people are powerful.
The purpose of stating this fact here is that we get many social skills from our old traditions and civilization. What are social skills? All the skills we need to live in a society. We can listen to others well, talk to them well, understand their feelings, and help them with their problems. All these skills are embedded in our ancient civilization.
Why should we teach these skills to our children?
Children’s social skill development is crucial to their overall development. Children must learn how to navigate the social world and engage with people in a constructive way. The following advice will assist in your child’s social skill development:
Sharing Things with Other Children
Encouraging your child to share their toys, games, and other objects with other kids is a good idea. They will gain generosity and an awareness of others’ needs as a result of this.
Listening to Others
Teach your child to listen to others and respect their viewpoints. This will help them learn how to converse effectively and the value of listening to others.
Following Adults’ Instructions
Help your child understand that adults have authority and that they must obey. This will teach them to respect authority and obey.
Cooperating with Other Children and Adults
Encourage your child to collaborate with other kids and adults. This will teach them how to work as part of a team and the value of cooperation.
Being Patient
Teach your child how to be patient with others. This will teach them patience and the ability to wait for their turn.
Being Empathetic
Help your child understand the feelings of others. This will teach them compassion and the ability to put themselves in the shoes of others.
Respecting Boundaries
Teach your child to respect other people’s boundaries. This will help them learn to be respectful and understand the significance of respecting others’ personal space.
You will be assisting your child in becoming more confident and successful in their interactions with others by teaching them these social skills. This will make their lives easier and happier.
List the following social skills for children in order of their importance; Sharing things with other children, listening to others, following adults’ instructions, cooperating with other children and adults, being patient, empathetic, respecting boundaries, etc.
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