Teaching Social Skills
It can be heartbreaking to realize that your child is on the outskirts of his social group, and you may be thinking that there isn't much you can do to help. You wouldn't be alone in your thinking; many parents believe that popular kids are born with a special gene that makes them socially savvy, that kids are destined from birth to be either popular or unpopular, liked or disliked.
Truth be told, there is no popular gene, and sought-after kids aren't born with any special social gift. Popular kids developed their interpersonal skills over time and with the help and guidance of the grownups around them.
You may be rolling your eyes at the thought of having to actually teach your child new and better social skills, but if your child is having trouble with bullies, taking the time to raise his social IQ could make a world of difference.
Take a minute to think about just how many things you teach your child. Besides physically caring for your child day after day, there are hundreds of things you need to teach him, such as walking and talking, singing and dancing, reading, writing, arithmetic, baseball, swimming, and soccer. You teach him how to make his bed, do laundry, and eventually, how to drive.
But what many parents overlook is the need to teach kids the art of friendship. Not many parents realize that teaching a child friendship-making skills is a very important thing.
Fact
Social and interpersonal skills can be improved at any age and at any stage of development. With a little help and guidance from you, your child can learn the skills he needs to navigate almost any social situation with competence and confidence. The trick is to approach it like any other learning experience and practice, practice, practice.
Many a parent could spend less time out in the backyard teaching their child how to toss a baseball or football and more time coaching him on how to make and keep friends. How many parents do you know who make a concerted effort to teach their child how to be a good friend? Socially savvy kids have parents who bring them to the playground and say, “Go over to those kids, introduce yourself, and tell them you would like to play with them.”
Popular kids have parents who expose them to many varied play situations and who help them practice and perfect approaching other kids. Socially savvy kids have parents who plan and encourage play dates and the occasional sleepover. These kids have parents who not only encourage academic and athletic skills; they value, encourage, and reinforce social and interpersonal skills.
