Top 8 Social Skills Your Kid Needs to Succeed in Life!
Have you ever stopped to think about the importance of social skills for your kids?
According to a study published by the American Journal of Public Health, social skills may be even more important than academic skills in determining a child’s success in life.
Kids need social skills for so many reasons. They need to get along with other kids, learn how to make friends, and figure out how to communicate appropriately.
In this post, we’ll discuss the following:
The importance of developing social skills
The 8 most important social skills kids need to succeed in life
The benefits of practicing these skills
How parents can help their children to build them
What Are Exactly Social Skills?
Social skills are the knowledge and abilities that enable us to interact effectively with others in various situations.
They can be verbal and non-verbal – through speech, gestures, body language, and facial expressions.
Social skills include keeping a conversation, following instructions, making friends, and dealing with adversities.
The Importance of Developing Social Skills
One of the most important things a child can learn is to develop strong social skills.
This involves mastering various skills, such as listening, following directions, sharing, cooperating with peers, and respecting personal boundaries.
These skills serve as the foundation for future relationships and interactions.
Kids who develop strong social skills early on tend to be more confident as adults.
Helping your child develop good social skills requires understanding precisely what they need to work on and how to best go about helping them achieve it.
8 Most Important Social Skills For Kids
There are many different social skills that kids need to learn to succeed. Below are some of the most important ones:
EMPATHY
One of the primary social skills kids need to learn is empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand and feel what others are feeling.
It’s all about seeing things from someone else’s perspective, and it’s a crucial skill for forming solid relationships with others.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Empathetic kids are more likely to succeed as they will be better equipped to handle difficult situations.
Empathy is essential for developing a strong sense of self-awareness and understanding others.
Children can connect with people more profoundly when they learn to do this.
They will also be more likely to have fulfilling relationships as they will understand and connect with others on a deeper level.
HOW CAN PARENTS HELP?
Parents can help their children by teaching and modeling empathy themselves.
It’s also vital for parents to listen to their children and take their feelings into account.
In addition, parents can help their kids develop empathy by teaching them how to put themselves in other people’s shoes.
This can be done through various exercises, such as role-playing, discussing different hypothetical scenarios, and reading books that help kids see the world through someone’s else eyes.
2. COOPERATION
To develop strong social skills, kids need to learn to cooperate with their peers.
This involves working together towards a common goal, sharing resources, and taking turns.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
When kids cooperate, they learn how to be part of a team and work for the benefit of everyone involved.
Kids who are good at cooperating have an easier time making friends and getting along with others.
They’re also more likely to succeed in life, as teamwork is essential for achieving goals throughout their lives.
HOW CAN PARENTS HELP?
Parents can help their kids develop cooperation skills by teaching them how to share and take turns.
For example, you can play games and activities that require teamwork with your children, such as puzzles, board games, and obstacle courses.
3. SHARING
“No, this is mine!”. Sounds familiar? Toddlers and young kids are not always good at sharing.
Sharing is the ability to temporarily give up something that belongs to you to benefit someone else, which can be difficult for little brains to grasp.
However, it’s absolutely possible to develop it with persistence and good modeling.
This is particularly important for an only child since it might be slightly more challenging to find situations where they can practice the skill.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Overall, kids who are good at sharing have a strong sense of empathy.
As a result, they’re more likely to be helpful and compassionate.
They’re also less likely to be selfish, as they understand that helping others is important too.
HOW CAN PARENTS HELP?
First and foremost, parents should never force their kids to share.
Instead, they need to slowly build an environment that will encourage kids to do so.
One thing that might help is rather than focusing on sharing, talk about “taking turns.”
Then, it might be easier for younger kids to understand the concept.
For example, “You both want to play with this truck; maybe we can take turns? Each can play for 5 minutes while the other finds another toy”?
4. RESPECTFUL BOUNDARIES
It’s not always easy for kids to understand and respect personal boundaries, but learning is essential.
Respectful boundaries are recognizing and respecting other people’s personal space.
It’s about being aware of how close you can get to someone before they feel uncomfortable, and it’s an essential skill for interpersonal relationships.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Kids who are good at respecting boundaries usually have healthy relationships as adults.
They will also learn to recognize and set their boundaries and limits.
They’re less pushy or aggressive and more likely to understand when someone doesn’t want them around.
HOW CAN PARENTS HELP?
Parents can help their kids develop respectful boundaries by discussing core boundaries, such as physical contact and personal space.
For example, if your child doesn’t want to hug or kiss a relative, you shouldn’t force her to do so.
As much as it can be embarrassing to you, the child has a right to refuse, and you have to respect her wish.
5. GOOD BASIC MANNERS
Having good manners is a skill that should be taught at a very early age.
It educates the child on the basic concept of respect – for themselves and others.
It’s about using good table manners, saying please and thank you, and respecting others.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Well-mannered kids often find it easier to make friends and fit in.
They’re also more likely to succeed in life, as good manners are crucial in any situation.
HOW CAN PARENTS HELP?
Parents can help their kids develop good basic manners by modeling good behavior.
You shouldn’t expect your child to act politely if you usually don’t.
Also, please take advantage of every opportunity to teach them what they should do in different social scenarios.
6. MAKING EYE CONTACT
Some kids might struggle to look at someone else’s eyes when talking, and it’s normal!
The child might be shy or distracted by something else.
Nevertheless, making eye contact is an important skill a child needs to learn from a young age.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Eye contact shows others that you are interested in what they say and have confidence in your listening ability.
It helps improve communication and understanding.
For example, kids who are good at eye contact often have better communication skills, which can help them make friends.
HOW CAN PARENTS HELP?
Parents can help their kids develop good eye contact by playing eye-contact games with their children.
As an example for toddlers, you can write an emotion (happy, sad, surprised, etc.) on a sticky note and places it on your forehead.
Then you change your facial expression accordingly, so the child will be “forced” to make eye contact to guess the word.
For older kids, you can stage a situation. For example, ask your child to share a story while you’re looking somewhere else.
Then another one, where you look at them directly while talking.
After that, you ask them how they felt in these scenarios. I’m sure they might not have enjoyed the first one.
7. LISTENING
Listening is probably one of the most common challenges faced by parents.
You asked for the tenth time without success. There is nothing more frustrating than being ignored by your child.
While it feels like a lack of respect, it’s usually not the case.
So, we must pay attention to how we talk to them and the timing.
It can be that your child was concentrated on something else, or you keep asking the same thing repeatedly that they learned to ignore it.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Kids who are good at listening usually have better communication skills.
When a child can listen well, it enhances the value of their conversations and interactions.
Listening is a crucial part of socialization. And healthy and respectful social interactions help them improve their emotional intelligence.
HOW CAN PARENTS HELP?
The first thing a parent can do to help their child is listen to them!
Unfortunately, we are so focused on making sure they listen to us that we often need to remember to do the same with them.
Another good way is by suggesting alternatives and options instead of simply giving them a command.
For example, you can say, “Do you want to finish your homework first or watch TV for 15 minutes?”.
8. FOLLOWING THE DIRECTION
This skill is related to the previous one. Nevertheless, following directions requires more than just listening.
It requires a child to pay attention to details, track sequenced information, and request clarification if not understood.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Kids must learn how to follow directions early on in life.
This skill will help them in many different areas, from school to work to personal relationships.
Generally speaking, kids who are good at following directions navigate effectively across various situations.
It can also keep kids safe since they know what to do in case of an emergency if they learn how to follow directions.
HOW CAN PARENTS HELP?
There are a couple of strategies that can help your child to improve.
First, start by giving short and direct messages.
You’ll undoubtedly lose them if you add too much information in one sentence.
Instead of saying, “I’ve already told you many times that you have to pick up your toys and put them back in the boxes after you finish playing.”
Try this: “Toys back in the box, please!”.
Takeaways
Social skills are an integral part of a child’s development and success in life.
These skills will help them navigate their challenges as they grow up, such as friendships, relationships, schoolwork, and work-related interactions.
Parents need to teach their children these critical social skills to develop healthy habits early on from a young age.
Teaching your kids how to be empathetic with others or make eye contact will set them up for future successes and allow them to build better connections with those around them!
The best place to start is by being a positive role model yourself. Show your child how to be respectful and engage in thoughtful conversations.
Help them understand the importance of body language and facial expressions.
And give them opportunities to practice their social skills through play and interaction with others.
We can help our kids develop these essential skills with patience and perseverance to be better prepared for the real world!
