Have you ever been to a party where the guest of honor talks about "social skills" and how that person has learned to share in the happiness of others? If so, then you know how important these skills can be. But I also know how important they are not to be taught. I have seen friends teach their children how to count and other things, but I have never seen them teach their children how to have social skills.
The good news is that there is an alternative. This alternative is called Socialization. Socialization does not mean forcing people to do socially correct behaviors. It does not even mean teaching people how to talk in public. No, Socialization is all about understanding the needs and desires of others and then responding to them. And it requires some effort.
For instance, you might want to tell your child about "Social Skills Stories". A social skills story is a story, perhaps a song, poem or story about how one child or another was able to deal with being around people. By telling your child about how you dealt with being around certain people in school, you can begin to help him or her understand social situations. This is where the real work of Socialization begins.
Socialization is the process by which children acquire the ability to understand and handle social situations. Social skills are not something that is fixed. They are not something that comes from birth. People learn to make friends, to dress well, to ride a bike, to get along with others and so on, but they do not automatically inherit the ability to socialize.
There are many ways to engage your child in socialization. You can do this through story time. Take turns with your children and tell them stories. Tell them about two friends who grew up next door to each other, and how they learned to deal with being different. You can also involve them in puzzles and activities to increase their social skills. The more your child socially interacts the more he or she will learn. Check out this link https://shop.adapted4specialed.com/collections/social-stories to for more options.
Encouraging your child to share his or her own experiences is a great way to boost social skills. You can also encourage your child to join clubs and organizations in his or her community. These endeavors allow your child to have social experiences that are not educational and do not focus on correcting him or her. Socialization, ultimately, is a very important part of growing up.
