Wherever they go, your child will need to talk to others and socialise. Social skills are essential everyday skills and yet they are not taught at school. You will need to help your child with them by working on their confidence and encouraging them to take up opportunities and we have just the tips to help you from an independent girls’ school in Hertfordshire.

Clubs and Hobbies

The only way to help your child with their social skills is to help them get out there. Clubs and hobbies are a wonderful way to do this. As they meet new people, they will learn how to interact with others and build confidence. They will learn small things that you can’t necessarily teach like how to start a conversation, overcome their nerves, and feel less anxious when meeting new people.

Visit Friends and Family

Being in a room full of strangers can seem daunting but it can be equally exciting as you can learn from one another and make friends. If your child’s not quite there yet and is anxious about meeting new people, try stepping them out of their comfort zone slowly. Start with people they know like friends and family. Arrange play dates with other children where they can get to practice using their social skills like communication and their interpersonal skills.

Spend More Time Talking to Your Child

It’s important to have a line of communication with your child where they feel as though they can come to you with their issues. While they may not willingly offer up this information, you can create a safe space and encourage conversation by asking them about their day. Having more frequent conversations like this will help them with their social skills as they will work on key communication skills like speaking and listening. 

Manners

Manners are an important part of socialising as we all expect to be treated with respect and they are things that children can easily be taught through regular reminders. The way that you handle social situations also sets an example for them which is why you try and be respectful to others.

Activity Groups

At school, your child will have plenty of opportunities to meet other children and work on their social skills. If your child’s home-schooled, this is something that they may struggle with as they don’t have the same exposure to real-life situations as others their age. However, joining an activity group activity in your local area will help them develop their social skills. They will have the chance to learn something new or work on what they’re passionate about alongside other children their age.

Empathy and Emotional Intelligence 

Approximately 55% of our communication is non-verbal which makes interpreting body language key to social interaction. While they can be hard to read, there are a few common characteristics for certain emotions and more obvious ones that you can train your child on. It will build their emotional intelligence, helping them to appropriately respond and help those around them.

We hope that you found the tips in this article helpful. For more like this, take a look at our blog archive.

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