5 Ways to Improve Your Child’s Social Skills

By: Shandy Lwieka

For kids, making friends can sometimes be the hardest thing in the world. As a parent, you can help your child navigate the jungle of making friends and become a social butterfly by checking out our list.

1. Encourage eye contact
   • Teach your child to look into someone’s eyes when talking. This will help improve your child’s confidence and their own listening skills.
2. Teach how to communicate feelings
   • Besides helping your child learn appropriate greetings and responses, it is important to communicate feelings using words. Let them know how you feel up front as well.
3. Know your child’s limit
   • It is important to understand that your child learns at their own pace. Never force them into social situations that they are not comfortable with.
4. Prepare for higher social skills
   • Instead of solving problems for your child, encourage them to think of how they can solve their own problems. This way, your child will learn problem-solving, public speaking, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills.
5. Be a good role model
   • Last but not least, improving your child’s social skills can be as simple as acting responsibly, listening, being respectful, apologizing for mistakes, and being considerate.