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Social skills for first graders


8 Important Social Skills For Kids And How To Teach Them

Teaching social skills for kids is one of the most complex, confusing, but rewarding aspects of raising young children.

It’s no secret that preschoolers and kindergarteners are naturally egocentric. Even when playing or interacting with others, many children have difficulty sharing, empathizing, collaborating, and cooperating.

HOMER is here to help you learn eight of the most important social skills for kids, as well as how to incorporate them into your family life.

8 Important Social Skills For Kids

1) Sharing

Sharing is a part of daily life. That doesn’t mean it’s easy!

Sharing is a difficult concept for young children to get behind. Toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners have a particularly difficult time, as they are more focused on their needs and desires than the needs and desires of others.

This is normal. The feeling that something “belongs” to them is typically much stronger than their desire to please others.

Even though it’s hard to share, doing so is critical to a child’s social skill development, as it helps them keep and advance friendships. It’s also a great way to bond and show appreciation.

2) Listening

Active listening is an important skill that even some adults struggle with. Properly deciphering and absorbing information requires significant focus.

We all know this can be challenging for young kids, but active listening can strengthen their receptive language skills (the ability to comprehend spoken language).

Receptive language skills help your child:

  • Handle social interactions
  • Answer questions
  • Understand stories
  • Comprehend what they’re reading
  • Understand gestures

While developing their social skills, your child will come to see how important it is to actively listen when others are speaking.

Paying attention to what someone is saying and responding directly to their statements or questions is a big part of healthy communication.

3) Following Directions

The cousin of good listening skills would be executing the instructions your child heard — a.k.a., following directions!

Following directions becomes particularly important once your child enters into their school years.

It’s one thing to follow directions at home with their parents where they’re innately comfortable; it’s another task entirely to follow directions from adult authority figures they may not know well.

Your child will learn how listening and following directions overlap with one another. If they listen well, it becomes easier for them to follow directions accurately. And when they follow directions accurately, they’ll often be rewarded for their hard work!

Keep in mind, however, that multi-step directions are challenging for young children. To help them develop the ability to follow directions, give them one direction at a time.

4) Collaborating And Cooperating

Similar to sharing, your child will learn how to move beyond sharing objects to sharing ideas, stories, and work.

With good collaboration and cooperation skills, children will learn that working in a group gives them a chance to express their ideas and listen to the ideas of others. It allows them to see that it can be fun to work on a shared project!

This may sound simple, but for young children, cooperation can often require real effort. It will take time for them to learn to respect others’ opinions even when they’re different.

By working together toward a common goal, kids can advance their sharing skills to include both intellectual and physical (think: cleaning the dinner table with a sibling) feats.



5) Patience

How many times have you heard the cliche, “Patience is a virtue”? Well, we are here to say it one more time!

It’s normal for young children to be impatient. However, patience really is one of the most rewarding social skills for kids.

Patience is critical for many things, including maintaining friendships and relationships and achieving big goals that can only be completed over an extended period of time.

This is where the concept of delayed gratification comes into play. When you help your child understand that good things often take time (not everything in life is microwaveable!), you nurture them into a patient person.

Learning patience takes practice and, you guessed it, patience! Trust that it will come with time (as everything does).

6) Empathy

When we say “empathy,” we’re referring to the traditional definition — the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Your child will learn how to appreciate the similarities and differences between their lives and those of people they meet. They will also learn how to empathize with these people, no matter how different they are.

For young children, this can mean small gestures.

For example, if their friend or sibling cries because your child is playing with a specific toy, your child may pause and say, “I know you want to play, too. Don’t be sad. We can take turns!”

But this sense of empathy will likely not appear overnight! Empathy develops over time and across a variety of scenarios.

The easiest way to promote your child’s development of empathy is by showing it in action. When you extend grace to your child often, they will learn how to extend it back.

7) Respecting Boundaries

Some people require different emotional and physical boundaries than your child.

This can be a particularly difficult concept to learn, especially for very young children who receive most of their socialization from within the household.

Likely, if your child is extroverted, they may assume everyone is OK with hugs, questions, or lots of chit-chat. In some cases, they may be right! In others, they may accidentally cross boundaries in their efforts to be friendly.

Teaching your child how to ask permission and identify boundaries helps them establish a sense of respect between themselves and others. The same goes for helping them establish boundaries for themselves.

Let your child know that it’s OK to say no to hugs, kisses, or other displays of affection from someone — no matter who it may be — if they feel uncomfortable. Model this idea by asking questions yourself (“Would you like a hug?”).

When they make their boundaries clear and ask for others to do the same, it will make both parties feel much more at-home.

8) Positivity

Working on positivity can make it exponentially easier for your child to tackle many of the other social skills for kids we’ve mentioned, especially patience, boundaries, listening, and sharing.

With a positive attitude, your child will find it easier to make and keep friends, succeed in school, and achieve their goals.

The easiest way to demonstrate positivity is by modeling it. The more positive you are about your child’s social skill development (including their inevitable slip-ups), the more reassured and positive they will become themselves.

This doesn’t mean you have to be positive all the time. In fact, a healthy amount of honest criticism can be beneficial in helping your child learn to express their feelings.

To do this, start with your own emotions. Let them know how you’re feeling and how you’re managing it in real time if you can. Kids need to know it’s OK to be sad, angry, or mad sometimes and how to handle it.

How To Teach Social Skills To Kids

Now that you know what social skills for kids to include, how do you go about teaching them at home? Let’s take a look!

Normalize Mistakes

Your child should know that you do not expect perfection. There is no way to execute all of these social skills every time, everywhere, without mistakes.

That is OK! In fact, it’s encouraged. Mistakes are normal; they’re how we learn what went right or wrong.

Make sure you normalize this for your child. If they know all humans learn lessons this way, it’ll be easier for them to push through the sting of a mistake and try again.

Encourage Sharing (Without Violating Boundaries!)

Although sharing is great and should be encouraged, there may be some things that are special to your child that they don’t want to share. This can be especially true of stuffed animals, blankets, or special toys.

This is OK, too! It’s great for your child to set boundaries that you and other children respect. To encourage sharing, try not to force it.

Encouraging without forcing also demonstrates to kids how boundaries can be created, acknowledged, and respected between people.

This will motivate them to share with those around them by taking comfort in the fact that what is special to them has been kept sacred and separate. It will also encourage them to be direct about their and others’ boundaries when it comes to play, school, or emotional issues.

Check Their Listening

During social interactions within your own family or outside of it, pay attention to your child’s listening skills. You can observe them to see if they are listening carefully.

Do they seem engaged? Are the asking questions?

And remember it is just as important to listen to your child. This shows them that what they are saying is important and encourages them to listen to you in return.

Think About How You Give Directions

In teaching social skills for kids, the parent or authority figure is responsible for ensuring the directions they give are something a young child can execute successfully.

When giving instructions, be clear, firm, and gentle. As we mentioned earlier, children have a very difficult time executing tasks with many directions at once. Start with one direction at a time that your child can focus on.

When giving instructions, have your child repeat what you want them to do. Only give an additional instruction when the first has been completed. Repeat until the task is complete.

Your child can give you directions, too! That way they have a sense of what it takes to delegate, manage, and execute a task from start to finish.

Give Empathy To Get Empathy

Show your child that you think about other people’s emotions, too! This is less of a teaching moment and more of an authentic display of empathy.

If you see that your child is expressing an emotion, validate it for them. “Oh, I see that you’re excited. I love that you’re so eager and happy to do this!”

You can acknowledge negative emotions, too. For example, you might say, “I know that must make you angry. Do you know how I can tell? What can we do together to make you feel less unhappy?”

This not only helps them feel seen and heard in the moment, but it also gives them a direct example of how to tackle empathy with others in similar situations.

Social Skills For Kids Are Essential

The more your child experiences the benefits of social skills, the more intuitive these skills will become for them. However, all children learn at different rates. With practice (and patience!), we know they’ll get there.

The Learn with Sesame Street app is an effective tool that helps kids learn and develop their social and emotional skills. With the help of their Sesame Street friends, kids learn how to express their emotions, empathize with others, and create healthy relationships. Explore the Learn with Sesame Street app today!

Author

Social Skills Grade by Grade

Step into any classroom, and along with the usual math tables and word lists, you’ll probably see other signs hanging front and center. You know, the ones that say, Be kind! or Be brave! These rules aren’t just there to keep the peace. They underscore what teachers know, yet most parents never think about: Strong social skills are as key to school success as academic ones. In fact, sometimes they’re even more important, says child development expert Michele Borba, Ed.D.

Being able to delay gratification, for instance, is one of the biggest predictors of success. “Research shows that kindergartners who can wait will do better in school three years later than those who came in knowing their letters,” says Borba. Pretty impressive. Here’s what teachers are looking for most at each grade — and how you can build that know-how at home.

Pre-K Skills:

Sharing

“Give-and-take is the first moral skill kids learn, and it’s hard to go forward without it,” says Borba.

How to teach it 
Take turns talking about what you did that day over dinner and play lots of board games together; these are two of the easiest ways for him to practice waiting. Borba also suggests helping your child come up with fair rules — he gets five minutes on the swing set, then his friend gets five. It will teach him how to problem-solve as well as share.

Being Polite

“A kid with manners is a likeable kid — and you can’t underestimate likeability,” says Borba. “When a child feels accepted, he can concentrate on his school work rather than worry about who’ll play with him.”

How to teach it

Remember your manners. Sounds obvious, but the more he hears “please” and “thank you,” the sooner the soundtrack will become laid down in his head. Also, gently remind your kid when he forgets (and he will) and don’t be afraid to shower praise when he remembers without prompting.

Self-Control

Your kid may be used to relying on you to help calm him down. But now he has to start using his words and working through his emotions by himself (with a little help from the teacher). 

How to teach it

Pinpointing your child’s feelings (especially mad and sad) helps him recognize the emotions — and once that clicks, he can begin to control them when they bubble up. Resist the urge to fix the situation. Instead, encourage him to think of a way to cope with his emotions. One to try: “Take a deep breath and blow the angries away.” 

PLUS: AN EASY WAY TO TEACH SELF-CONTROL

Kindergarten & 1st Grade Skills:

Patience

In the classroom, being patient means waiting your turn and paying attention without fidgeting — no easy feat for the average wiggly kid. “A child who gives her full attention is going to hear and learn so much more from her teacher and classmates,” says Ashley Button, a kindergarten teacher in Atherton, CA.

How to teach it

Give your child lots of opportunities to entertain herself without your help. The next time she wants your attention when you’re busy doing something else, say you’ll be there in a few minutes and have her sing a tune or draw a picture to pass the time. Reading is also a great way to improve kids’ concentration. “As your child gets better at being patient, stretch out the amount of time she has to wait for you, or choose a slightly longer book to keep improving her focus,” says Borba.

Assertiveness

Kids need to speak up for themselves by making eye contact and using “I” messages (“I felt sad when you cut me in line”). “I practice with my class, so kids learn to go to an adult only when they can’t work it out on their own,” says Julia Seligman, a firstgrade teacher in Essex, VT. Assertive kids excel because they aren’t afraid to ask questions. 

How to teach it

Practice “I” messages, like saying “I feel frustrated when you leave your backpack in the middle of the hallway” or, in your kid’s case, “I don’t like it when you nag me to make my bed.” They not only help your child become more assertive, they beef up her body language, so she’s less likely to be bullied.

Resilience

“Many kids need to be taught it’s OK to make a mistake. It’s how we learn,” says Seligman. “When the classroom feels safe, kids let go of ‘What if I get it wrong?’ and take chances.” Gaining this skill now — when mistakes are small — pays off in a few years when, say, he’s called on to do a wicked calc problem.

How to teach it

When you mess up, point it out to your child, says Seligman. Then talk about what you learned for next time. “And compliment your child when he takes a chance — whether it pans out or not,” says Button.

PLUS: HOW TO RAISE A KID WITH GRIT

2nd & 3rd Grade Skills:

Open-Mindedness

“Kids like working in a group with classmates who ask ‘What do you think?’ and make them feel good,” says Borba. Learning the knack of respecting other opinions while giving your own boosts likeability and problem-solving skills. 

How to teach it 

Show your child how to see both sides, says Carrie Conover, a teacher in Chicago. If your kid is in an animal project group, explain how he could respectfully disagree: “I think bats are awesome! But I think it would be better to study squirrels because there are so many different kinds.” And seize chances to model compromise: He wants McDonald’s; you, the bistro? Find a place where he can get a burger and you, sweet-potato fries.

Responsibility

With more schoolwork and activities, your kid has to step up responsibility and organization. After all, it’s much easier for him to hit the books when he’s not searching for his pencil.

How to teach it

Maybe you were inclined to do things for your kiddo when he was younger. Now it’s time to impose routines so he can start managing his own stuff (with reminders). At night, for instance, he can make sure his backpack is ready at the door and his clothes are laid out. In the morning, he can put his dishes in the sink after breakfast.

Self-Reliance

“Kids don’t want to snitch, so they’re less likely to involve adults in squabbles now,” says Conover. They need to know how to express their real feelings to friends so that they can solve their own spats.

How to teach it

Instead of calling the other parent when your child has an argument with a pal, talk through solutions and urge your child to take it from there. Knowing that he can (mostly) solve his own problems — whether social or academic — will give him another big boost in resiliency.

4th & 5th Grade Skills:

Accountability

Juggling daily assignments with long-term projects is a lot to keep track of. He needs to learn the consequences of forgetting or misplacing. 

How to teach it 

If you constantly schlep his homework to school whenever he forgets it, he’ll never learn to own up to his actions. Be up front about your expectations and the consequences if your tween doesn’t follow through, suggests Conover. Give your kid a couple of reminders, if necessary, but then let him take over. And if he loses his permission slip, tough luck. “That one fail will be a big and positive lesson for your child,” notes Borba.

Perspective

Along with the responsibility comes anxiety — and the sooner your child learns how to weather it, the better. A relaxed kid, unlike a stressed one, turns into a little academic sponge.

How to teach it

Help your kid pinpoint what wigs her out most: Is it tests or shake-ups to her daily routine? Then brainstorm stress-busters, says Conover, from listening to tunes to going on a bike ride. Come up with a little mantra she can mentally repeat (“It’s okay. I can handle this!”) to manage in-the-moment jitters.

Confidence with Mean Kids

Bullies want a reaction, so your child needs to know how to keep her cool and stand strong.

How to teach it

Arm her with a short but sweet comeback line. She has to say it like she means it, so do some dry runs at home. Strong words paired with equally strong body language is enough to defuse most bullying situations, say experts. And not being afraid to stand up for herself is a real-world skill that every child needs — now and later.

PLUS: HOW TO BUILD HEALTHY SELF-ESTEEM IN CHILDREN 

Photo Credit: © David Woolley/Getty Images

Social skills of preschoolers - the development of social skills in children

The development of social skills is a necessary point of education. A child with a high degree of socialization will quickly get used to kindergarten, school, any new team; in the future will easily find a job. Social skills have a positive effect on interpersonal relationships - friendship, the ability to cooperate.

Let's figure out what social skills are.

What are social skills and why develop them?

Social skills - a group of skills, abilities that are formed during the interaction of a person with society and affect the quality of communication with people.

Man is a social being: all our talents and aspirations are realized thanks to other members of the group. Others evaluate our actions, approve or condemn our behavior. It is difficult to reach the pinnacle of self-actualization alone.

That is why social skills are important. They should be developed from early childhood and honed throughout life.

Social skills are a reflection of the child's emotional intelligence, to which educators and teachers assign an important role in the process of personality development. Without this group of skills, a smart child will not be able to apply the acquired knowledge in practice: it is not enough to create something outstanding, you need to be able to correctly convey thoughts to the public.

Sometimes people mistakenly believe that social skills relate exclusively to the topic of communication, communication. In fact, skills include many multidirectional aspects: an adequate perception of one's own individuality, the ability to empathize, work in a team, etc.

Why do we need social skills?

  1. Regulate the area of ​​interpersonal relationships: the child easily makes new friends, finds like-minded people.
  2. Minimize psychological stress: children with developed social skills quickly adapt, do not feel sad due to changes in external circumstances.
  3. They form an adequate self-esteem from childhood, which positively affects life achievements and development in adulthood.
  4. Social skills cannot be separated from building a successful career: the best specialists must not only understand the profession, but also have high emotional intelligence.

Development of social skills in a child

Social skills need to be developed from preschool age, but older children and even teenagers may well learn to interact with the world.

It is recommended to pay attention to areas of life that bring discomfort to the child, significantly complicate everyday life.

  1. Friends, interesting interlocutors: the kid does not know how to join the team, he prefers to sit in the corner while the others play.
  2. Verbal difficulties. The child does not understand the rules of conversation, is poorly versed in the formulas of etiquette (when you need to say hello, say goodbye, offer help).
  3. Problems with the non-verbal side of communication. Such a baby does not recognize the shades of emotions, it is difficult to understand how others relate to him. Cannot "read" faces and gestures.
  4. Does not know the measure in expressing a point of view: too passive or, conversely, aggressive.
  5. The child bullies classmates (participates in bullying) or is a victim.

In case of severe moral trauma, one should consult a psychologist: for example, school bullying is a complex problem that children are not able to cope with on their own. The involvement of parents and teachers is required.

In other cases, family members may well be able to help the child develop social skills.

What are the general recommendations?

1. Be patient

Don't push your child to get the job done. Let them take the initiative: for example, do not rush to help during school gatherings, let the baby work on the problem on his own. The same goes for lessons and other activities.

2. Support undertakings

Children's dreams seem trifling to adults, but the initiative turns into a habit over the years and helps to discover new projects, meet people, and experiment.

3. Criticize the right way

When making negative comments, remember the golden rule of criticism: analyze the work, highlighting both positive and negative sides in a polite manner. Commenting on the specific actions of the child, and not his personality or appearance - this will lead to problems with self-esteem.

4. The right to choose

It is important for children to feel that their voice is taken into account and influences the course of events. Invite your child to personally choose clothes, books, cartoons. Ask about ideas, plans: “We are going to have a rest together at the weekend. What are your suggestions?

5. Personal space

Make sure that the baby has a place where he can be alone and take a break from talking. Personal things should not be touched: rearrange without prior discussion, read correspondence with friends, check pockets, etc.

Children, noticing the respectful attitude of adults, quickly begin to pay in the same coin; the atmosphere in the family becomes warm and trusting.

What social skills should be developed in a child?

Let's dwell on the main qualities and skills, the development of which is worth paying attention to.

1. The ability to ask, accept and provide help

Without the ability to ask for help, the child will deprive himself of valuable advice; the lack of the ability to accept help will lead to losses, and the inability to provide help will make the baby self-centered.

  • Let the child help those in need: for example, a lagging classmate.
  • Explain to your child that getting help from friends and teachers is not a shame.
  • Show by personal example that mutual help enriches experience: tell how you exchange advice with colleagues, friends.

2. The ability to conduct a conversation and get the right information

Being a good conversationalist is difficult, but the skill is honed over time and brings a lot of benefits.

  • Prompt your child for dialogue development options: for example, you can start a conversation with a relevant question, a request for help.
  • Do not leave the child in the role of a silent listener: when discussing pressing issues at home, ask the opinion of the baby.
  • Support children's public speaking: presentations at school, performances, funny stories surrounded by loved ones will add confidence.

3. Empathy

Empathy is the ability to recognize the emotions of others, put yourself in the place of another person, empathize.

This ability will make the child humane, prudent. How can it be developed?

  • Start by recognizing the child's feelings - it is useless to listen to people if the person does not feel personal experiences. Ask your baby: “How do you feel after a quarrel with friends?”, “Do you want to relax today?”
  • After conflicts with classmates, ask your child how the children with whom the quarrel may feel now.
  • While watching cartoons, reading books, pay your child's attention to the emotional state of the characters.

4. Ability to work in a team

Many children can easily cope with tasks alone, but this is not a reason to refuse to work in a team. It gives the opportunity to exchange ideas and experience, delegate tasks, achieve goals faster and more efficiently.

  • If the child does not communicate with members of the team, try to introduce him to another social group: for example, the lack of communication with classmates can be compensated by a circle of interests, where the child will feel calmer.
  • Make the family a friendly team in which the child has his own "duties": for example, do housework, remind parents of upcoming events. Any activity related to the well-being of other family members will do.

5. Respect for personal boundaries

The absence of an obsessive desire to interfere in other people's lives is a valuable skill that helps to win people's sympathy.

  • Respect the child's personal boundaries: do not enter the nursery unannounced, do not rummage through personal belongings and correspondence, if the matter does not concern the life and safety of the baby.
  • If the child violates other people's boundaries (takes toys without permission, asks uncomfortable questions), talk about it in private.

6. Ability to overcome conflict situations

It is difficult to imagine our life without conflicts. The task of the child is to learn how to culturally enter into a discussion, defend his point of view, and not be led by the provocations of his interlocutors.

  • Discuss problems that arise calmly, without raising your voice. Do not put pressure on the child with parental authority unnecessarily: the child is a separate person who has the right to an opinion.
  • Do not judge people for views that differ from those of your family but do not affect your well-being. Show your child that the world is very different.
  • You can demonstrate to children the basics of a civilized dispute, explain what arguments are, etc. It is advisable to teach this child in kindergarten.

7.

Self-confidence

Stable and adequate self-esteem is a quality that not all adults possess.

It is formed under the influence of many factors: relationships between parents, the role of the child in the family circle, the characteristics of the environment that surrounded the child in early childhood.

It is important that the child does not grow up to be either a narcissistic narcissist with fragile self-esteem, or an overly shy person. How can you help your child find balance?

  • Praise your child for personal progress: to receive a compliment from parents, it is not necessary to win prizes in school competitions. The zeal of the baby, the interest shown and the stamina also deserve praise.
  • Explain, remind the children that initially they are worthy of respect and love, like all people around.

Social skills will help in many areas of life: in studies, hobbies, friendships, building a reputation in a team. The main thing is to encourage and support children at all stages.

Emotional Intelligence for Children

Introducing children to emotions, how to manage them and how to express themselves in teamwork, through situational games

learn more

Social skills in early childhood for building healthy relationships and the overall well-being of the child

Early childhood social skills for building healthy relationships and overall child well-being

Activities

Bini Bambini

Binibambini

Ukraine, Kharkiv

The development of children's social skills is an important part of education. Strong social skills lead to a more comfortable quality of life and a less stressful response to various life situations. Through proper verbal and non-verbal communication, active listening and teamwork, children can build better relationships with others, perform better in school and have a better chance of success in their careers. As a rule, preparation for school partially involves teaching the basics of social interaction of children, but it is recommended to pay attention to them much earlier.

Social communication skills are not formed by themselves: they need to be taught and, more importantly, they need to be demonstrated. For this, there are tasks by age. The first social interaction in a child's life is with adults. Therefore, if you want your child to adopt adequate behavior patterns, it is important to be a good role model yourself, setting an example for him.

Social skills for preschool children: should they be given attention in early childhood?

In short, yes, it is necessary. The formation of social skills in preschool or early childhood children plays an important role. Let's see why these humanitarian skills, or soft skills, as they are called today, are no less important than functional skills, hard skills, which involve, for example, knowledge of the alphabet.

If a child has sufficiently developed social skills, then he will experience less stress in a new social environment, that is, he will feel more comfortable. In addition, children who feel anxious or stressed have a harder time concentrating at school or on the playground, making it difficult for them to be actively socially involved in any activity.

Children who have been taught to correctly express their emotions, communicate, show empathy (this includes all the skills associated with communication) confidently cope with new social situations. Other benefits of good social skills include better grades, better chances of going to college and finding a job, and generally stronger and healthier relationships. What are the most important social skills for preschool children?

There are many communication skills that a child will need. Below are five key things that will prepare him for kindergarten.

Greeting

Entering a room with strangers and introducing yourself is difficult even for an adult, let alone a toddler who is still in the process of learning words. Practice saying hello to family or friends. And when a child encounters such a situation in a preschool group, he will no longer be so scared.

For example, you are waiting for your grandmother to visit. Prepare your baby: “Grandma is coming soon. When she comes in, let's say "Hi, grandma!". This will give the child an idea of ​​what is said in such situations. It may take more than one time and more than one repetition to consolidate the result, but do not worry, over time everything will work out. A similar scheme can be applied when guests leave. Let your child know that, for example, the grandfather is leaving soon and you will need to say goodbye.

Over time, you can practice with questions like “How are you?”. By the way, this is a great way to help your child learn to talk about their feelings. You can also practice with cards that show pictures of basic emotions like “cheerful”, “sad”, “tired” or “happy”. Taking out a card, you can ask the child to depict this or that emotion and name it.

Polite words and etiquette

To hear the cherished “please” and “thank you” from a preschooler, looking at the interlocutor, or to make him sit at the table while eating, is not an easy mission. But quite real! The three main components of success here are: a good example, constancy and patience.

A good example: children are very observant. Demonstrate the behavior you expect from them. Take your eyes off your phone while talking to them or anyone, ask questions tactfully, and cover your mouth when you cough.

Constancy: one day not to react to a certain behavior, and the next - to scold, - you will agree, it is perplexing. Being consistent in your reactions is important to avoid misunderstandings, as they cause stress and interfere with concentration.

Patience: an absolute parental necessity, especially in this context. Give your child time to make good manners a habit. A positive attitude and support here will also not be superfluous.


Follow directions

This is important, not only because it will make your life much easier. Being able to follow the instructions is useful for the formation of the child's psyche. In school, this is a necessary skill for effective learning. Games are a great way to learn to grasp instructions and follow them. Alternatively, you can try these:

Simon speaks. Classic! One person gives the instruction “Touch the tip of the nose”, “jump on one foot” and the group follows it, but only on the condition that “Simon says” sounds first before the instruction. If someone completes the task without "Simon says", then he is out of the game.

Red light, green light. First you need to line up. On the words "green light" - run to the finish line, "red light" - stop. If someone does not respond, then returns to the start. The first one to reach the finish line wins. You can complicate the game and add “blue light” by inventing another condition for it. For example, “blue light” means to jump.

Board game “Do it yourself!” Trains the skills to act according to the rules and gives space for creativity. You can take a board game template and come up with your own tasks for each move: “move two steps forward” or “count to ten”, etc. Then take the cube and go play!

Interaction with others

Being independent is important, but being able to work in a team is an equally necessary skill. Effective interaction with other people gives the ability to communicate constructively, resolve conflicts and a sense of belonging. Team sports will come in handy here, but there are other ways to teach teamwork at home. For example, you can take colored pompoms and ask the children to sort them by color. If you also include a timer, then the children can come up with a strategy and divide the work among themselves to speed up the process.

Another option is to have the task of building the tallest tower out of different materials to create a work of art together.

This also includes role-playing games like a seller and a buyer in a supermarket. Such games encourage children to discuss, adopt a strategy and share roles. You can keep an eye on the game so that in case of conflicts, gently guide them towards a peaceful resolution.

Listening skills

To teach children to listen is to teach them to be attentive. This is a necessary skill to build relationships with others. If you think your kids can't hear you, try this: