We now live in a world that is dominated by technology, and this digital era has benefited us in many ways. However, one thing it has not helped with is human interaction, with more and more people – including children – taking to the internet to socialise with others. This has made it all the more important for adults to ensure that younger kids are given the opportunity to develop their social skills.
Social skills are very important to the development of youngsters, and with this in mind, it is vital to ensure that pre-schoolers are given the chance to learn and develop key social skills. In this article, we will look at some of the vital social skills that both parents and educators should try to nurture in young children in today’s digital world.
Important Skills to Teach The Little Ones
There are a number of vital social skills that young children need to learn and develop in order to help them develop properly. With more and more kids becoming reliant on digital technology from a younger age, teaching preschoolers about real-life social skills has become all the more important. Some of the key skills they should be learning include the following.
1. Verbal Expression
It is important for little ones to learn how to express their emotions in a verbal sense rather than through action. Many parents will be used to their kids doing things such as throwing items around to express anger or frustration. However, your child should be taught how to verbally express basic emotions such as sadness, happiness, and anger, all of which are emotions that are common in children. As well as in the home, experienced preschool educators at quality child care facilities and kindergartens will also encourage these skills.
2. Ability to Communicate
Many parents these days become frustrated by their older children because they appear to have lost touch with proper communication, preferring instead to do everything digitally. It is important that you encourage face to face communication in your toddler, which includes making proper eye contact, saying please and thank you, and getting involved in laughing and talking with other children of the same age. These sorts of skills can be further developed by finding a good childcare facility for your pre-schooler.
3. Being Able to Listen
Your little one also needs to develop good listening skills, which form a vital part of their early social skills. Without learning how to listen properly, your child will be unable to learn. Simple things such as encouraging your toddler to get involved in a group conversation with other toddlers and also playing whispering and listening games can help. Youngsters will also learn to listen when in environments such as childcare.
4. Working as a Team
Your child needs to learn how to work as part of a team or group from an early age, as this will stand them in good stead for later life. At preschool age, this type of skill is learned while playing and interacting with other kids of the same age. Also, interaction with siblings can help in this respect but for kids who are the only child, these skills can be learned while in a childcare environment.
5. Showing Compassion
Finally, your preschooler needs to learn how to show compassion, as this is another important skill they will need when they are older. For instance, you don’t want your child giggling when someone else is obviously upset. Teaching them to show compassion to both their fellow humans and to animals is vital at this age, as this is a skill that needs to develop and be nurtured.
Put Your Child in the Perfect Environment
Putting your pre-schooler in a reputable childcare facility is a great way to help them develop and hone these social skills. If you want to find out more about how we can help, get in touch with the experienced team at Happy Hippo Kindergarten & Childcare.