Managing children can often turn a little too tricky for parents, especially when they are young. But nothing gives them more pleasure than seeing the little ones grow up and develop into well-groomed, responsible, and respectable individuals. And when they do, parents feel an ultimate sense of achievement that can’t be replicated. That being said, what do you think is that one thing that’s necessary to help your kids achieve a socially respectable position? Yes, what they need the most is social growth and education; in other words, “social skills.”

The term “social skills” is often used to describe the ability to get along with others, make friends, and interact in a way that is not hurtful or damaging. However, these skills are much more important than what they superficially appear to be like. These skills are essential for children not just because they need them to succeed in school and in their relationships with peers but also because these skills form a vital part of their overall personality development and mental make-up.

That being said, a child’s social skills are learned through experience and a healthy environment. And for that, children need to have access to opportunities where they can practice their social skills and learn from their peers’ feedback. Children generally obtain such opportunities to learn these skills through positive, peer-based interactions with their families and caregivers. They also benefit from their relationships with other children, where they can practice and learn during play. This is where both home and school environments serve as a crucial factor.

We, at The Tribhuvan School, positioned among the top 10 schools in Patna, firmly believe that in the current times where social growth is gaining a lot of significance from both personal as well as professional point of view, it becomes all the more important for children to understand the importance and nuances of social etiquette and skills in life. So today, in this article below, we will point out some of the most crucial social skills for children and how to develop them.

The Basic Template of a Child’s Emotional Spectrum

• Good Manners:

Good manners among kids are not just about saying please, thank you, and excuse me. They also include behaviors like holding doors open for others, giving up a seat to someone who needs it more than you do, and helping others with their work. It’s a sign of respect for other people and a show of dignity. Good manners show that you care about the feelings of others. They also show that you are polite and considerate of other people’s needs. But kids don’t always have good manners, which can be a problem. Kids who are not respectful of others may end up hurting someone or doing things that will cause them to be embarrassed later. That’s why it’s crucial to teach children good manners and how to behave appropriately in social situations.

As one of the top 10 schools in Patna, we, at The Tribhuvan School, believe that it’s actually easier for kids to learn good manners because they are generally quick learners and think differently from adults. So, even if you start small by merely showing your kids how to be polite by communicating with them gently and respectfully, they will get the message! You can then go on to teach your child what behaviors are appropriate while playing games or interacting with other children so that your child knows what to do when they become frustrated or angry. Teaching your kids good manners is an excellent way to show them that you respect their feelings and have the confidence to trust them to handle difficult situations.

• Empathy:

Empathy is the capability to understand and relate with the feelings of others. It is a critical component of emotional intelligence and can be developed through many activities for kids. It has been seen that children who are sown with the seeds of empathy right during their childhood grow up to be more understanding, compassionate, and caring individuals.

At The Tribhuvan School, we firmly believe that developing empathy in children is vital as it helps them develop self-awareness, self-esteem, social skills, and an understanding of how other people think and feel. Empathy has many benefits, such as making friends more easily, understanding others’ feelings better, and being a better listener. It leads children to develop positive relationships with others that will lead to a happier childhood and prosperous adulthood.

To teach children empathy, you can start by teaching them how to listen. When a child listens carefully to what someone else says, they can pick up on emotions that the speaker may not have expressed verbally. They can then respond appropriately with compassion or comfort when needed. An excellent step to developing empathy in kids is encouraging them to express themselves through creative outlets such as art and music. Another way to help children develop empathy is by having them read books that involve characters with different backgrounds or personalities. You can also roleplay by putting the child into someone else’s shoes. It will give them an understanding of the emotional psyche of others when certain activities are performed.

• Distinguishing Right from Wrong:

Teaching children the difference between right and wrong is one of the most fundamental roles of an adult, particularly of a parent. However, it requires a lot of patience and the ability to set and enforce boundaries. The best way to achieve this is through the use of examples that should be clear and understandable. The word that can describe acceptable social behavior is “conscience.” It is the moral sense of right and wrong. It is a person’s inner voice of what is morally good behavior.

The conscience of children is generally shaped by parents and teachers or by the ones who genuinely care. However, in most cases, it also gets shaped by the environment, experience, and genetic predisposition. It means that it is up to you, the parents, to be aware of what kind of environment you provide to your children to raise them into righteous individuals.

At The Tribhuvan School, one of the top 10 schools in Patna, we believe that children’s conscience should be ideally developed early because it influences their behavior and enables them to make better decisions as they grow up. This installation of honesty and correct principles help them grow into someone people can look up to as a reliable and trusted personality.

• Making Friends: 

Though it might look simple, making friends can actually be stressful for some children, especially if they are not getting the support they need from their parents or adults around. Making friends can be difficult in early childhood because most children are too shy and insecure to approach other kids they don’t know. As a result, many kids grow up without any friends.

Making friends in early childhood is vital for several reasons; for one, it helps develop good social skills. In addition, it’s also crucial for their emotional development. Children who make friends in early childhood are likelier to have better social skills as adults than those who didn’t make friends until later. They also tend to be happier and more secure than those who grew up without friends.

So, how can you, as parents, encourage your children to make friends in early childhood? Here are some suggestions: Identify why your child is struggling to make friends. Are they frustrated because they don’t have any other kids in class who want to play with them? Do they feel shy around kids who seem more confident and outgoing than they are? Once you reach the root cause, it becomes easier to work out on the issue. However, whatever your approach remains, you, as a parent, will have a crucial role to play. You have to encourage your children to make friends by joining a social group. Take your children to the park, and ask them to politely request the other kids whether they could play with them. Host a social event such as a party or birthday celebration in your house, and ask your kids to invite friends over. As they mingle more, their self-confidence will grow, and they will begin to shine as individuals.

• Respect:

Respect is a word often used when discussing interactions between people. It can be defined as the feeling or attitude that shows someone or something is noteworthy, deserves consideration, and should be given deference. Teaching respect to children can have many different contexts, such as with friends, strangers, parents, kids, and even animals like pets. When using respect in these contexts, knowing what it means and how to show it is essential.

Now, one can show respect in many ways, but it is usually demonstrated by listening to someone and their opinions and also by way of speaking to someone. Children need to learn this at an early age. If children do not understand its importance, they will have difficulty forming relationships with others going ahead as others may take offense to their behavior.

The best way for parents to teach respect to their children is by setting a good example, showing love and affection, listening to them, and giving them choices when appropriate. Some examples of showing respect to others are being polite during conversations, showing compassion towards the elderly by lending them a helping hand, and maintaining dignity while approaching others. However, do not forget to teach your children to keep self-respect as well. It promotes self-confidence and pride in work later in life.

• Taking Responsibility:

Children should learn to take responsibility because it teaches them to be independent and self-sufficient adults. It also teaches them how to deal with the consequences of their actions. To do this, they need to be led on how to make the right decisions by the right people. You can teach your children how to be responsible by giving them age-appropriate tasks and responsibilities. When children take responsibility for their actions, they understand their consequences. It is essential because it helps them make wiser decisions in the future.

Taking responsibility can also help your child learn time management skills. When given a set of tasks to complete, they will have to prioritize what is essential and what is less critical and work accordingly. It will help them learn to manage time better in the future. Responsibilities also teach children how to be self-disciplined. The more responsibilities a child has, the more they learn empathy. The most important thing is that children should be allowed to make certain decisions independently. They need opportunities to learn from their mistakes and develop the skills necessary for life. They’ll fail multiple times in the beginning, but once they find success, nothing will hold them back since their failures have strengthened their character. Bad childhood habits are hard to eliminate – every parent knows this. But think that if good habits are instilled in their place, you won’t need to replace them.

• Good Hygiene:

Hygiene is one of the most critical factors in maintaining good health. It is even more important for children who are more vulnerable to infection and disease. Children must learn how to keep their hygiene early on in life. Hygiene is essential because, firstly, it helps ensure that they are less likely to get sick, preventing them from missing school or work and saving parents money on medical bills. Second, if they are healthy, they will become productive members of society with a better quality of life. Third, it teaches children the importance of self-care, which can help them become independent adults with healthy habits that last a lifetime.

The best way to teach children about hygiene is to start when they are young. So, make sure you teach your children the importance of washing their hands before eating, using the restroom, or playing outside. You can do it by setting an example for your children and reminding them verbally, such as “wash your hands now,” or showing them pictures of people who have been poorly affected by being untidy. It is a “shock and awe” tactic, sometimes very effective. It is also essential to teach children how to brush their teeth and floss properly and when they should take a bath or shower. These are ways that children can receive the message that they must take care of themselves to be healthy.

• Being a Good Sport:

It is very important to teach children to accept disappointment when things don’t go their way. Children who don’t accept dignity in defeat may develop anti-social tendencies later in life as they try to get their way by any means necessary. They don’t learn to handle disappointment and frustration, which is actually essential for their character growth. Children with this mentality may not be successful later in life, as they will not know how to bounce back from failure. However, when they learn to seek dignity in defeat, it helps them develop self-control, empathy, and resilience skills. They will also know that they are not alone in their struggles and how to handle themselves in a difficult situation by not giving up hope.

A prime example is a child suffering from anger or throwing tantrums after losing a game. A common term for children displaying this kind of behavior is “a spoilt brat,” and rightly so. To avoid this situation from ever happening, it is very much important you, as their parents, set boundaries and let them know of the consequences. Make it a point to take immediate action by approaching the matter cautiously by being polite at first. If that doesn’t work, you must be firm and disciplined.

• Being Cooperative:

Cooperation is the foundation of a fully-formed society. Children who grow up in cooperative families feel loved and supported. They are also more likely to be successful adults because they would have learned how to get along with others from a young age. This, we believe, is very important in today’s world, where being social is considered an art.

As you all know, parents are the first teachers to children, it is important that you show your children how to be cooperative with others in society through your own conduct. Show them how they can cooperate with others to achieve a common goal. It will help them understand that cooperation and collaboration is the key to success. Let them know that only when we learn to cooperate, we lay the foundation for creating a more egalitarian society.

• Patience:

It is essential to teach your children patience because it will help them throughout their lives. It will make it easier for them to deal with unexpected situations and difficult people. The fact is that patience is a virtue, but unfortunately, most of us lack this trait. At The Tribhuvan School, recognized among the top 10 schools in Patna, we believe that even though it isn’t easy to wait for things we want or need, if we learn to do it by being a little patient and calm, the rewards would be worth the effort!

Teaching kids how to be patient is something that won’t just benefit them during their childhood but will also come to their aid all through life. Some of the benefits of instilling patience in children include:

• It will help them to succeed in school and develop good study habits.
• It will teach them how to be better listeners, which further helps their social skills.
• Patience teaches children to be more mature and more successful in life.
• Children learn to face difficult emotions and are more likely to emerge as winners.

Now, the question is how to teach patience to kids? That is indeed not an easy thing to be taught. But the good part is that you can sow the seeds for instilling patience in your kids through simple everyday chores. To that end, the best way out is to start with introducing meditation in their morning routine. Even a 10-15 minutes of meditation session can help you with your task of teaching patience to them. You can also tale help of some fun-filled games and activities where they are required to wait for their turn. You can take them to your nearby park to make them learn how they have to patiently wait in the queue with other kids before they get to have their turn on the slide.

However, do remember, when it comes to teaching patience to kids, it is very much important that you walk the talk. Don’t just preach but rather practice! If your kids find you losing your patience every now and then, there won’t be any use telling them great things verbally. If you want them to learn something, make sure you model the same characteristics in your own behavior.

Social Skills Are a Vital Aspect of Holistic Development

Social skills are indeed important! Right from our personal life to professional life, social skills come to our aid at each and every step of the way. Be it about making friends, conversing with people, or working in a team, social skills hold their own significance in every scenario. As such, it becomes imperative that you give just as much focus on building and sharpening the social skills in your kids as you give to grooming any other skills in them.

In fact, it won’t be wrong to say that social skills form a crucial component of a child’s holistic development. Let us look at it this way – Can you call a child who doesn’t know how to mingle with others or make friends, a well-groomed and holistically grown child? No, right? This is why social skills are important! Hope you have understood the point now!

But that being said, we, at The Tribhuvan School, ranked among the top 10 schools in Patna, would also like to highlight the fact here that each child learns at his/her own pace, and no, this not just applies to academics but also to acquiring skills. So, while you, being their parents, keep trying to imbue the necessary social skills in your children, bear it in mind that your little ones might not be able to understand and grasp your teachings overnight. Just keep practicing, and they’ll surely get there!