Why Improving Your Kid’s Social Skills Matters
Discussing the decrease in people’s social skills is almost never-ending, as many factors contribute to individuals’ lack of socialization. The rise of social media was like a double-edged sword that expands and limits social skills at the same time. While growing up, teenagers can talk with about anyone on the internet and keep up with family and friends; things are different in real life.
That’s because the intense use of social apps can trigger anxiety more than it should. After all, online communication is narrower and superficial, and in authentic social environments, children might be unable to take accountability for their personalities. Adolescents are protected from others’ opinions on social media and, therefore, cannot form meaningful relationships and develop as functional adults.
However, parents can have a stronger position regarding social media and help their kids properly without reinforcing controlling behaviors and leading to toxicity within the household. There are many uncomfortable aspects of dealing with your kid’s personality when influenced by classmates or friends, but choosing to handle the situation in a balanced way is best.
How do social skill deficits show in a kid?
While kids aren’t born with natural social skills and must work to acquire them, some children may have more difficulties than others to integrate. It is often believed that kids diagnosed with ADHD and similar disorders are more inclined to show these limitations. Still, kids exposed to poor environmental factors and experienced anxiety or depression are also targets.
Children who don’t understand body language, are constantly agitated during speech and can’t formulate proper answers should be helped to develop and communicate with intense involvement from their parents. There are many ways to do so, but the most important is getting them out there in the world.
Less social media, more genuine interaction
Luckily for parents, numerous programs and facilities are made for kids to socialize and interact in a safe space. For example, taking your children to Miffytown, where they are provided with colorful play areas and lots of activities, is best for allowing them to get creative and engage with others without the pressure they might experience at school.
At the same time, the facility’s theme is based on a cartoon character whom kids can get to love after a while. This is also why TV cartoons get so popular because they’re full of animated personas that the kids can relate to and start to consider as their friends.
Kids would love Miffy because she’s a cute little rabbit who has a passion for drawing and has lots of fun with their friends. Growing up in the Miffy-inspired facility, kids can play interactive games, plant flowers and have coordinators read stories. Moreover, having friends with similar interests encourages kids to participate in more social events.
More respect, less command
We know that kids can be sneaky and do many unthinkable things to get what they want, especially when using a mobile phone or laptop previously confiscated. While it’s advisable to impose boundaries regarding phone usage, kids’ personal space and lives should be respected.
Therefore, you should propose some rules that must always be respected. Otherwise, your kid won’t trust your judgment enough. For example, knocking before entering someone’s room is essential, and this also applies to you as a parent. If your kid sees you doing the same thing as you proposed them to do, chances are the rules will be recognized.
In contrast, controlling all they do at all times and invading their personal space will only make your kid more anxious and uncooperative to be less introverted, which is the opposite you want. Although previous generations have been raised on this model, it isn’t the most efficient.
More emotional intelligence, less selfishness
While kids are not born selfish, they’re becoming slowly as they age due to factors like parents’ behavior of putting them in the center of the universe. Saying yes at all times, avoiding addressing problems of the real world and not allowing them to experiment enough can contribute to selfishness, which will develop to unhealthy levels.
A certain level of selfishness is helpful for the adults they’re about to become, but kids need to develop their emotional intelligence. While this can be easier to analyze in adults, emotional intelligence should include the following:
- Your kid can identify their own emotions and learn how they work only by observing what situations trigger unwell moments;
- Your kid can manage their emotions by calming down when necessary, but also deal with feelings where the case requires it;
- Your kid is motivated internally to do what they like and is choosing hobbies based on their personality;
- Your kid can reach a certain level of empathy and recognize the emotions of people around them;
- Your kid can socialize and maintain a conversation based on their level of understanding of the real world;
While these aspects sound complex and unrealistic, the truth is that children often surprise their parents with their abilities. They only need help by being praised rather than punished because discipline comes from a place of understanding and gentle correction.
Parents need to learn the difference between discipline and punishment
Physical and emotional abuse has often been proven harmful and inefficient, yet these practices are still common worldwide. When this model is reinforced, children will only develop feelings of fear and anger, leading to further misbehaving in the future.
Kids need to be taught how to grow up with consistency and flexibility. Setting clear expectations and logical consequences is the only way to correct certain behaviors without traumatizing kids in the long run.
Final considerations
Improving a kid’s social skills seems like a Sisyphean task to parents, but it shouldn’t be like that. While building discipline and encouraging children to communicate is challenging, parents frequently make their jobs harder by punishing kids and using types of emotional abuse, such as humiliation and threats. This isn’t the correct way to make a kid happier, and parents must re-think their ways of educating their descendants.
