10 Tips to develop social skills of kids

10 Tips To Develop Social Skills Of Kids in Pakistan

A person's ability to engage with people successfully and amicably in a variety of social settings is referred to as their social skills. These skills have an effective role in the social life of kids. Development of social skills at an early age is way more beneficial then teaching it at the teenage.

According to Wikipedia  

1-Social skills and Pakistan

In Pakistan social development is the most ignored topic for parents. They do not have proper communication with kids which leads to poor social skills. This affects their social relations with people, friendships, communication, confidence and self-control problems.

Kids having poor social skills suffer from several mental health issues like anxiety, depression, frustration, impaired social behavior and many different kinds of phobias. 

In a research published in Asian Journal of Psychiatry 110 kids equally distributed across gender and background, were examined. The average age was 10 years, and 54% of them had emotional or behavioral issues. ¹

2-Ways to develop social skills of kids

To combat the problem of poor social skills it is necessary for parents and teachers to be involved in  the development of good social skills among kids. Here are some ways that can help in this:

Friendly Behavior of Parents

In Pakistan parents usually are more aggressive to kids than being friendly with them. That is why kids hide their feelings and emotions from their parents. Sometimes even they hide themselves from their parents if they make even a neglectable mistake. That is why it is necessary to be friendly with their kids so that they can share everything with them.

Regular conversation

In our culture it is considered a waste of time to have a conversation with your kids. But it is essential to know them. When you talk to them they also learn to share things with you. They get the confidence to talk to people. They show emotions and feelings to you which is very hard if they have poor conversational skills.

Explaining Basic Manners 

Kids are at a learning stage so teach them the basic manners to start a conversation with people. Tell them how to behave with elders and youngsters. Tell them about the maintenance of loudness in their voice. Tell them to use courteous words like please, thank you, excuse me, sorry etc. This will make them kids with good manners.

Pretend Play

Pretend play is a key to practicing social skills. Play roles of different people your kids interact with and also ask your kids to play the role of a person they are happy or feel scared with. This is how you find how your kids perceive other people's personality and how they interact with them.

Teaching About Personal Space

The concept of personal space almost does not exist in Pakistan. Most people don't realize how important it is for child growth. Ultimately the children end up the same without having any concerns about others' personal space. 

At times this attitude spoils their outworld relations.. They must be taught about the boundaries they should consider so that they won’t spoil someone’s personal bubble.

3-Help in Making Friends

Make them have friendships with other kids to avoid loneliness.Have kids get togethers and encourage them to interact with them. Get them toys that require playing within groups like fire brigade sets, outdoor toys etc that involve them in outdoor activities to play with other kids games like hide and seek, cricket, hula hoop etc. 

 4-Resolving Conflicts 

Conflict resolution

The method that two or more parties undertake to settle a dispute calmly is known as conflict resolution.¹

Along with disputes between friends and family members, disputes can also arise between clients, customers, and employees.

But particularly if we talk about kids, fights and arguments are common when they play and are together. But the better one is who can solve the conflict. Parents should tell the kids how to avoid arguments and fights.

They should also teach them skills on how to resolve the conflict by politely instead of getting into the fight and scolding them.

This skill is not only important for their young age but also when they grow and get into their study and professional life. At a young age teaching about conflict resolution is far better than doing it after some unhappy consequences.

5-Explain about Empathy

Empathy is the ability to put oneself in another person's shoes and comprehend or experience what they are going through from within their frame of reference. Various social, cognitive, and emotional processes that are primarily concerned with comprehending others are all included in definitions of empathy.²

It is essential for children's emotional and social growth because it enables them to identify and comprehend both their own emotions and those of others, which improves self-regulation.

Children that have empathy are more inclined to treat others with kindness and compassion, creating a loving and encouraging atmosphere.

They are able to negotiate social situations with care and respect, improving their social abilities. It also aids in the prevention of bullying and hostility.

It makes kids better at making and keeping friends, comprehending various points of view, raising self-esteem, enabling problem-solving, cultivating leadership abilities, and planning for a better future.

6-Explain about Good and Bad Touch

In Pakistan in 2021, there were at least 3,852 children who were sexually molested, including 2,068 females and 1,784 boys.²

The words "good touch" and "bad touch" are used to categorize various forms of interpersonal physical contact. They are frequently employed while instructing kids about limits and personal safety.

Good Touch

Physical contact that is acceptable, secure, and authorized is referred to as "good touch." Trusted relationships frequently involve good touch, which fosters gratifying emotions and emotional ties.

Bad Touch

The term "bad touch," on the other hand, describes physical contact that is unsettling, unsuitable, or dangerous. Any sort of unwanted or abusive touching might be involved.

It is necessary to teach kids about differentiating between good and bad touch in order to;

• protect themselves
• prevent abuse,
• establish trust
• empower consent
• identify trustworthy adults
• lessen fear and confusion
• emphasize empathy
• respect for others' boundaries
• encourage open communication

Children who are aware of acceptable and improper contact are better able to spot potentially harmful situations, defend themselves, recognize inappropriate behavior, and ask for assistance when they need it.

Additionally, it helps kids differentiate between suitable and inappropriate behaviors while raising awareness of various forms of abuse, including sexual assault.

Open, age-appropriate discussions about good and bad touch provide kids the information and abilities they need to be safe and form wholesome connections.

7-Be a role Model

Kids learn more from what they see than what they are told. They won’t implement anything until they see you practicing that. So bring them with you in your events and let them observe what you do in your social life. Then they will automatically start adapting that behavior.

8-Conclusion 

Pakistan is a developing country where parents are usually stuck at raising resources for their kids. But working on their social development is a part of their education and personality improvement as they are going to be the future of this country. Early social skills training will help your kids build and maintain solid relationships with their family and classmates. Ultimately it will enhance their capabilities when they move to professional life.