Sharpen Your Child's Social Skill

Social skill is a part of basic principles for a child’s future. It may support him to be successful in life and thus, parents have to be able to hone that skill.

It has been a general assumption that engaging your child into an environment surrounded by his peers would make him more socially active and mature. However, this assumption is not entirely true.

A collaborative research from Stanford University and University of California involving 1.400 children showed that many parents complained about their children’s negative behavior after following the daily activities at daycare center. The earlier a child joins in a daycare center, the more likely he is to have behavioral problem later on.

Does negative behavior appear as a result from being far away from parents? According to the research, no. It turns out that children who spent most of their time with a caregiver or grandparents did not experience significant behavior change or show more negative behavior, although both of these groups were far from their parents.

Then, why does it happen? A child, by nature, has a response or behavior that may not necessarily the way it should. He acts by following his instinct, not based on consideration like an adult. For example, a child is very likely to take all the books he’s keen to without a willing to share with others. Other example, when a child is queuing up in a toilet, especially when his urge to urinate is overwhelming, it’s not impossible that he will cut the line without feeling guilty. Both of this situation can be avoided if a child has got sufficient understanding from his closest adults, that is his father and mother.

Now, what kind of values that may maximize your little one’s social skill? As his closest related person, you have an important role in developing his social skill. Below are some points that should be noticed when teaching your child about social skill:

Communicate clearly and effectively

Sometimes, your child is not able to clearly explain what he wants. For example, when other child approaches and invites him to play, you can explain that the other child wants to play with him. Therefore, he gets an example of how to communicate clearly and effectively.

Stimulate your child to come up with his own solution

When your child is facing a trouble, challenge him to find a solution himself. Ask him, what sort of solution is appropriate, listen carefully, and assist by correcting things that may not be possible. As an example, in a case of toy scrambling, usually the child will propose to be given the same toys. A continuous stimulation will make a child to be critical and creative when thinking about solutions.

Be fair and encourage your child to take turns

Engage your child in family discussions with simple topics. He will learn to take turns while expressing opinions and listening to others who do the talking. He will also learn about fairness. This way, he will understand that other people also have rights, just like him.

Encourage family discussions and the culture of democracy

Sometimes, parents are not aware if it’s a one-way communication that they do with the child. Change that habit, learn to listen carefully to your child’s opinion. This will teach him how to listen to others.

Equipping your child with a good social skill will make him more easily accepted and to adapt in a new environment. He is also able to solve problems on his own.