The Importance of Social Skills: Raising a Socially Intelligent Child
All parents want their children to be successful and well-adjusted when they grow up. In order for that to happen, however, they need to provide their kids with some essential skills that will allow them to be independent and socially intelligent. From teaching them how to take care of their health by eating a balanced diet and getting enough physical activity all the way to instilling a positive mindset into them from a young age, there is a lot that parents have to think about.
An important part of raising a child is focusing on their social skills. These are often linked with job success, a flourishing social life, and overall emotional wellbeing. While people tend to assume that all individuals with underdeveloped social skills are somewhere on the neurodiversity spectrum, that is a misconception. Although there will always be children that don’t know how to pick up social cues and behaviour, it doesn’t mean that most other kids can’t be taught these skills.
That is exactly what a parent has to do – teach them social skills. If a parent doesn’t take an active approach, kids will learn by example and mimic the behaviour they notice around them. If that behaviour is not exemplary, they might adopt social habits that will only lead to problems down the line.
Of course, not every child has to be a social butterfly but there are certain behaviours that will make life easier and more fulfilling. Keep on reading for specific actions parents can take when intending to raise a socially intelligent child.
Put a label on your child’s feelings
Children need to be taught that there is a wide variety of emotions. Even if they haven’t felt all of them yet, they need to understand that they exist. So, start by teaching your kids to recognize how they are feeling and putting a name to those emotions.
Take an opportunity when you see your child is visibly upset or happy and help them voice how they are feeling. Make sure you cover both positive and negative emotional words. For example, if they get a present, ask if they are happy, if they feel joy or excitement. On the other hand, if they don’t get something they hope for, suggest disappointment, sadness, and anger as emotions they might be feeling.
You can also teach them through cartoons or books they love. Even if they haven’t experienced envy, for instance, you can use a situation where their favourite character is jealous of someone else. Of course, you and your partner are their role models so try to express how you are feeling as well as that will inspire your little one to share their emotions too.
Teach them empathy
Another important thing kids need to be taught is empathy. While it can be easy to minimize their feelings when you can see that they are obviously being overdramatic, it’s better to use this chance to show them some empathy. Validate their feelings even if you’re not sure why they are feeling upset.
Showing that you understand them will teach them that acting out is simply not the way to go. By acknowledging their feelings and telling them that you feel the same sometimes, you will show them that sometimes things are hard but need to be done.
Put some emphasis on this when talking to your partner. You can talk about something one of you would do anyway but make it a show for the little one as then they will learn more about empathy and start showing it not only to you but to their friends as well.
In addition to providing them with a supportive environment at home, you need to look for a trustworthy childcare centre that will instil all these important qualities into them as well and prepare them for a lifetime of learning.
Adopt healthy coping skills
Learning more about their emotions also means dealing with them in a healthy way. Seeing as how many adults have a problem with this as well, it’s vital that you teach your kids this at an early age. Some specific skills you can help them adopt include taking deep breaths to calm down when they are angry or listening to music when they need to engage their senses.
They can use sentences that focus on how they are feeling or use art to express themselves. Instead of acting out and being aggressive, they will know how to control themselves and behave in a socially-acceptable manner. Teaching them how to regulate their feelings and cope with them is essential as you will not always be there to help them out.
Work on problem-solving skills
After your child has mastered labelling emotions and coping with them in a healthy way, it’s time to equip them with problem-solving skills as well. If you notice them getting angry because of the situation they find themselves in, suggest going through all the possible solutions to the problem they are having. These ideas don’t have to be ground-breaking; they don’t even have to be good. It’s important to brainstorm so that they understand that there are always options.
Encourage them to come up with solutions and then assist them with assessing the positives and negatives of each idea. Having the pros and cons in one place should help them make the decision on which action makes the most sense.
Even when they make a mistake, be there for them and go through their actions to help them see what could have been handled in a different way. That way, they can resolve any issues that remain. Just keep in mind that you are there to provide guidance, not solve their problems for them.
All in all, it’s important to bear in mind that this is an ongoing process and that there will likely be ups and downs. However, you have to be there for your kids and support them as they grow, change, and become adolescents. Make sure you provide them with the skills they need to have a successful life and you should have nothing to worry about once they leave home.