How Do I Teach My Toddler Social Skills?

Any parent of a toddler would tell you how difficult it is to teach them social skills. Gone are the days when kids leave the house and play together all day. With structured activities, scheduled play dates, and video games, teaching your child about social skills are now much needed than ever. Of course, your children will learn social skills in the child care Five Dock, but, still, it is your responsibility to encourage learning social skills.

It can be more frustrating to watch your child struggle to make friends or find it difficult fitting into a certain social setting. There are several steps you can take to teach your child about social skills. Here are a few tips suggested by the teachers from the child care in Five Dock NSW to improve your child’s social skills.

Practice role-playing

Pretend-play with young children is an excellent way for kids to practice their social skills. Let your child pretend to be the person they have difficulty getting along with. This will give an idea about how the person is like and how your child perceives the particular person. You can switch the roles to see what your child does when pretending to interact with the person. Give suggestions to more effectively interact with the individual and include body language such as smiling, and making eye contact when teaching. Encourage your child to ask questions and mingle with other kids when they are at the child care Five Dock.

Teach empathy

Research shows that empathy for others is the foundation of successful interpersonal relationships. Children who receive a lot of empathy for their feelings from their parents are the earliest to develop empathy for others. Yes, if your kid has a better understanding of how others feel, they are more likely to connect with the other people and form positive bonds. Run through different scenarios and ask how they might feel when each of these happens. When you teach empathy, your child will also learn to listen to others.

Be a role model

Learning starts at home. Yes, kids tend to learn from their parents. They observe and try to imitate what you are doing. So, it is crucial to consciously aware of how you interact when your child is watching. Do you show empathy for family and friends in your life? Do you help others? Do you listen to others when they are speaking? Being a good role model requires conscious effort and forethought. If you want your kids to behave well, you start behaving well at home, especially when your kids are around.

It is essential to understand that some kids may quickly learn while others take some time to develop good social skills. Social skills are not something that can be developed overnight it can be improved upon over a lifetime.

The author is a blogger and owns a high-quality child care centre in Five Dock. Along with a team of dedicated, trained caregivers, he provides a nurturing, safe environment where children can play and learn. Visit https://caring4kids.com.au for more details.

We are a family owned & operated company, offering quality care & education for over 10 years. We have have child care centres in Five dock & Leichhardt.