Friends We Love!!!
An affiliate of:
LOVE N LEARN AT HOME
4 Ways to Get Your Child to Socialize:
- Take them places. Get out of the house often. Parks, McDonald play areas, malls, gyms, library, toy stores, and friends houses are all reasonable choices.
- Talk to them. Ask them questions. Listen to them. These are all ideas to help them realize that "talking" is okay, and helping them be able to "trust" that sharing their thoughts, opinions, or feelings is good to do with others.
- Have "Friend Groups" where the children can get together, do activities, and share their belongings. Teaching concepts such as talking, sharing, and cooperating with one another is extremely important for young children to learn how and be able to begin doing.
- Get your kids involved! Have them join an extracurricular activity. Soccer, Dance, Music, Art, T-Ball, Flag-football, Gymnastics, Karate, and a Computer Program are all ideas.
What Would You Do???
Is your child Shy? Tips to help them out of their shell:
- Do nothing! Engage them around other children frequently, do not force them to interact. Playing on their own is okay. Eventually if consistently around children at times, they will begin to interact on own.
- Let them "put on shows and performances" for you at home. Come up with a skit or play idea for them to create and present. After dinnertime, let them perform it for the whole family.
- Enroll them in an extracurricular activity to help them to get to know other kids and be involved in something they enjoy!
- Do not "talk" for them. Let them use their own voice to express needs, wants, feelings, or thoughts! (i.e. If you are at a restaurant, let them order their own meal or drink)
Life-Skill Concepts: To help your child develop socially
- Teach sharing: "Can you take turns?" "He/She has it first, and then you.
- Teach to "use words" to communicate needs, wants, and feelings
- Cooperation: Take turns & listening
- Use our manners: Please, Thank you, Your Welcome, Yes Mam/Sir
- Teach the old sayings: "If you want a friend, you have to be a friend" and "Do to others how you would want them to do to you"
- Discover new ways for your child to express themselves verbally. Ideas include: Write about their thoughts/feelings, call their grandparents, draw a picture of their feelings, social play, or join an extra- curricular activity like dance/soccer.
