Social skills are important in everyday life. Without them, we would find it difficult to communicate with people and build relationships, which would make things hard for us in both our personal and professional lives. Parents can help their children develop strong social skills from a young age, using the following advice from a prep school in Chesham.
Encourage Your Child to Socialise
Try and introduce your child to lots of different people, both young and old, so that they become more comfortable meeting new people and chatting with them. You could even encourage them to join an extra-curricular activities like drama club or a football team, where they can make friends with children that don’t necessarily go to their school but share similar interests.
Practice Conversation Starters
Often, the trickiest part of a conversation is getting it started, especially when it’s with a new person. With that said, you could role play some conversation starters with your child. There are the obvious questions, like “What’s your name?”, but help your child take it one step further by teaching them to say things like “Hey, what did you get up to this weekend?” or “I love your shoes, where did you get them from?”.
Talk About Body Language
Teach your child that sometimes you can figure out how a person is feeling from their body language or facial expressions, as opposed to what they have said. Understanding body language will be beneficial to them because they will know how to respond. For instance, if someone is crying, they can offer a tissue or a hug.
Be a Good Role Model
Let your child observe you socialising with others in a healthy, respectful manner. Much of what our children learn is by watching their parents and copying what they do. So, if you swear or shout at a waitress for spilling your drink, your child might think this is an appropriate way to speak to people. Alternatively, if you respond politely and with kindness, your child will do the same if they are ever in a sticky situation.