Did you know many parents often struggled to help their children make new friends and socialize with their peers. Here I’ve outlined 5 simple strategies that you can use to help your child develop friendships with their peers.
Get Involved
Encourage your child to participate in community sports teams, art programs, and special events. All these are wonderful opportunities for your child to get engaged in structured activities with their peers. You can also ask professionals and support groups for information on these programs or check your local community newspapers, centers, and websites.
Leverage on your child’s Interests
If the goal of enrolling your child in a program is to provide opportunities for them to make new friends, then you should look for activities that your child enjoys. Some children like the arts while others enjoy sports. If your child is particularly shy, look for activities that initially have less direct contact with others. Tumbling and swimming are examples of individual sports while soccer and basketball involve more contact with their peers. If your child starts getting involved in activities they enjoy, they are more likely to join other programs in the future.
Role Play Difficult Skills
Practicing social skills is a way to work on specific aspects of social interactions. For example, if you notice your child stands too close to their peers or repeatedly asks the same questions, you can help them learn about personal space or conversational skills through role play. By practicing these skills in the home, your child can learn to improve their social skills and apply them outside the home.
Provide Examples
While reading books or watching television, you can explain social situations to your child. Point out how helping others, using kind words, and listening when friends talk are ways to be a good friend. When characters are being hurtful or invading someone’s personal space, point these actions out and ask the child what the character could do differently to be a better friend.
Do Not Force Friendships
Just like adults, children get along better with some peers than others. Teaching your child to be kind and to include everyone in activities is important, but they do not have to be best friends with everyone.
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