As a parent, it's natural to want your child to have strong social skills and be able to make and maintain healthy friendships. Building friendship skills in kids is important for their emotional and social development, and there are a few things you can do to help your child develop these skills:
- Model good social skills: As a parent, you are your child's biggest role model. Set a good example by using kind words, listening to others, and showing empathy towards others.
- Encourage sharing: Sharing is an important skill for building and maintaining friendships. Encourage the behavior at home by providing opportunities for your child to share toys and take turns during activities. You can use the sharing social story on the Earlybird app to explain to your child that sharing isn’t just about taking turns. Sharing is actually about making other people feel welcome and included and part of the group.
- Teach your child about feelings: Help your child understand and identify their own feelings and the feelings of others. This can help them be more empathetic and understanding towards their friends. You can use any of the social-emotional activities on the activity tab on the Earlybird app for this! The best part is you can teach your kids these skills while they play.
- Help your child practice problem-solving: Friendship problems are a natural part of life, and it's important for your child to learn how to handle conflicts and solve problems with their friends. Help your child practice problem-solving skills by role-playing different scenarios and offering guidance and support. The social-emotional activities on the Earlybird app provide an awesome, playful way to spark these kinds of conversations.
- Encourage your child to make friends: Encourage your child to participate in activities and events where they can meet new friends, such as sports teams, clubs, or community events.
- Be supportive: Be there to support and encourage your child as they navigate the ups and downs of friendships. Offer guidance and advice when needed, but try to give your child the space to figure things out on their own as much as possible.
Overall, building friendship skills in kids is an important part of their emotional and social development. By modeling good social skills, encouraging sharing, teaching about feelings, and helping your child practice problem-solving, you can help your child develop strong friendships.
For more parenting tips and tricks check out the other articles on the *FREE* Earlybird parenting app in the Apple app or Google Play store.
