Starting a new school, joining a new club or being in a new social circle and making new friends can be a worrying time for children and their parents too. Although some children are naturally sociable and outgoing many children suffer from shyness and find it more difficult to strike up a conversation with people that they do not know. This, unfortunately, can hinder their ability to develop new friendships.
Maybe you are starting to worry about your child when they go to school and stressing that they’ll be sat alone during their lunch break or left out during group activities. If this sounds like you, please whatever you do don’t despair! There are lots of things that you can do to help your child make new friends and become more confident in social situations and life in general.
Here are a few tips and tricks from a Private School in Kingston Upon Thames to help you help your child to successfully develop their social skills and form happy friendships.
Conversation starters
Talking to new people can no doubt be difficult whatever your age. To help your child feel more confident about speaking to other children it can be helpful to prepare a few conversation starters. Planning out simple opening lines that they could say to their peers, such as ‘I like your shoes’, ‘do you like to skip’, or ‘can I join in?’ can help to prepare them for their new playground environment and give them the little boost they need.
Build confidence
It can sometimes be difficult to speak to new people or step outside our comfort zones whatever our age and confidence levels. Help your child to develop their social skills and work on their confidence from a young age by challenging them to simple things such as ordering the cake at the coffee shop, speaking to the sales assistant when buying school uniform or simply bringing them into your own conversations with other people when out and about.
Set an example
One of the biggest things you can do for your child, in all aspects of life, is a great role model. How you interact in social situations is likely to be mirrored by your child, so be mindful of your behaviour. By being aware of the way you communicate, your child will learn how to deal with different social situations; how to make jokes, how to solve problems, how to negotiate etc.
Playdates
Invite some of your child’s peers over to your house for a fun playdate or homework session. This can help your child to develop friendships by getting to know the other children in a familiar setting, where they should feel more relaxed and confident.
After-school clubs
Try to encourage your child to take part in extra-curricular activities and after school clubs. These provide an ideal opportunity for socialising with other children who share the same interests.
Take a step back
We understand how hard it is but where possible, try to take a step back and allow your child to work out issues alone. Disputes with friends are common at school and learning how to resolve these issues alone is an important life-skill.
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