How Parents Can Encourage Social Skills Outside the Classroom
Social skills are essential for communication, befriending others, managing emotions, and participating in society. Outside the classroom, parents can create numerous opportunities at home and in the community to encourage and support children to develop social skills in familiar surroundings.
Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) can benefit from regular practice of communicating and interacting with others. Each child is unique, so parents can support their children according to their needs and preferences.
Encourage Communication at Home
Everyday conversations can become an excellent opportunity for teaching and encouraging social skills. Parents can ask their children to tell them what happened at school, explain their opinion on specific matters, talk about their hobbies, or discuss their feelings. Instead of asking closed questions that require only “yes” or “no” answers, parents can try to have more open questions and statements, such as “How was your day?” or “What do you think about…” Such conversations can allow children to practice talking and listening to another person.
Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) may need extra time to formulate their answers, so being patient and not interrupting them can be critical in such conversations.
Practice Social Skills Through Play
In their free time, children can engage in various types of play that can help them develop social skills. Through play, kids can learn to cooperate, share, take turns, follow rules, and accept winning and losing.
Parents can also support their children by playing everyday roles, such as ordering food in a restaurant or asking for directions. Such play can help children practice communication in various social settings.
Arrange Small Social Activities
Sometimes, large social events can be overwhelming for kids. In such cases, arranging small get-togethers with familiar people can be a good way for kids, especially those with disabilities, to practice their social skills. Inviting one friend or a family member to the home can be a good way for children to learn how to communicate and cooperate in a comfortable environment. As kids develop, parents can try to organise bigger get-togethers or invite unfamiliar people to their home. Such social activities with friends or relatives can also help kids learn how to negotiate, compromise, and be flexible.
When visiting other people’s homes, kids can learn how to be polite guests. Parents can also discuss what activities will be available at the get-together to ensure that their children are comfortable with planned events.
Furthermore, parents can talk with their children about what future social activities could look like, who may be present, and what may be available to do.
Get Involved in Community Activities
Community events and activities can be excellent opportunities for kids to practice their social skills outside the family and school setting. Sports, art, music, libraries, youth clubs, and other community events and facilities can be great places for kids to meet and socialise with others.
To encourage socialisation, parents can choose the activities that their children enjoy. In particular, hobbies should be selected according to each child’s personal preferences. Then, kids will be more likely to try to communicate with others while doing something they like.
Furthermore, when engaging in community events, parents can talk with organisers about what kind of support may be needed for their children with special needs.
Teach Children to Handle Social Challenges
When communicating with others, kids may face various challenges, such as disagreements or refusal to play. Parents can support their children by discussing possible solutions to such social problems.
Instead of suggesting solutions immediately, parents can ask their children what they could say or do to resolve the conflict. In such conversations, children can also learn useful phrases that they could use in similar situations in the future, such as “Can I join you?” “Can we take turns?” “I do not like that”, or “Can you help me?” Such discussions can also help kids learn patience and understanding of other people’s feelings and perspectives.
Teach Listening and Other Communication Skills
When interacting with other people, children should be encouraged to be active listeners. Furthermore, they need to learn to wait until it is their turn to speak. Parents can be role models for their kids by showing how they treat and communicate with other people. Such behaviour can encourage children to develop healthy communication habits.
When interacting with their children, parents should try to listen more carefully to their kids’ ideas and feelings so that children can learn to listen to others as well.
Kids with special needs may have unique ways of communicating. Therefore, it is essential for parents to support their children individually.
Encourage Independence
Developing social skills often goes hand in hand with developing independence, as children learn to stand by their opinions and defend their choices. Parents can encourage such independence by asking their children to try to order food, ask for help, greet people, or return books to the library. Kids can also be encouraged to handle more responsibilities at home, such as cleaning or cooking. These activities could help children to develop confidence in their social interactions.
Furthermore, parents should be role models for their kids by demonstrating how to communicate with other people. In particular, they could show how to introduce themselves, apologise for mistakes, be polite and kind, negotiate, handle disagreements, etc.
Finally, parents should remember that developing social skills is a slow process that requires consistency and patience. Children could make mistakes and struggle to find the right words to express their feelings and intentions. However, positive reinforcement and encouragement could help them to feel more confident about practising their social skills. Furthermore, parents should remind their children that it is okay not to know how to communicate perfectly and that they could always ask for advice and support.
Conclusion
Communicating with family members, playing indoor and outdoor games, participating in everyday activities, and engaging in community events could all become helpful tools for developing social skills. These activities could allow kids to practice their communication skills in familiar and comfortable environments. For children with special needs, developing skills usually takes more time and patience, so individualised approaches would be the best way to encourage their social development.