Preschoolers need to learn how to get along with others to grow and develop. Kids attending a Silver Spring child care center who learn good social skills can handle social situations, make friends, and talk to others more clearly. Having good social skills also helps you control your emotions and lowers your risk of behavior problems.
Preschoolers’ social growth is greatly helped by their parents, other adults who care for them, and teachers. Children’s daycare workers can help toddlers develop strong social skills by giving them chances to do social activities, showing them how to behave properly, and giving them advice and feedback.
Social skills are the things we use every day to talk to and connect with other people. Language and body language, like speech, gestures, facial expressions, and body language, are examples of what they are. A person has good social skills if they know how to act in social situations and know the rules that are both said and unspoken when talking to others. Kids who have been diagnosed with Asperger’s, Autism Spectrum Disorder, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder have trouble making friends.
People need to have good social skills to connect with others positively. A lot of these skills are important for making and keeping friends. Social interactions don’t always go well; when they do, a person needs to be able to use the right tactics, like conflict resolution, to fix the problem. Empathy is also important because it lets people respond to how others are feeling, showing they understand and care.
One of the hardest, most confusing, and most satisfying parts of being a parent is teaching kids how to get along with others. It’s no secret that preschoolers and kindergarteners are naturally self-centered. Many kids have trouble sharing, understanding, working together, and cooperating, even when playing or dealing with other kids at an after school program in Silver Spring, MD.
Sharing is an important part of everyday social relationships. It’s not easy, though! Young children have a hard time understanding the idea of sharing. It’s especially hard for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners because they care more about their wants and needs than others.
This is fine. Usually, their need to feel like something “belongs” to them is much bigger than their need to please other people. Sharing is hard, but it’s important for a child’s social skill growth because it helps them keep and make new friends. Also, it’s a great way to show friends and family how much you care.
In the same way they learn how to share things, your child will learn how to share ideas, stories, and work. Kids will learn that working with others lets them share their thoughts and hear what others say if they know how to work together well. They can see that working on a project with others can be fun!
Even though it sounds easy, getting little kids to work together can be hard. They need time to learn to accept other people’s views, even if they are different from their own. By working together to reach a shared goal, kids can improve their ability to share by doing both mental and physical tasks together, like putting away dinner with a sibling.
Once your child starts school, it’s especially important for them to follow directions. They naturally know how to follow directions at home with their parents, but it’s a different story when they have to follow directions from adults they may not know very well. Combining the two will teach your kid to listen and do what you say. It is easier for them to follow directions correctly if they listen well. When they do what they’re told, they’ll often be paid for their hard work! Remember, though, that kids have a hard time following directions with a lot of steps. Giving them one direction at a time will help them learn how to follow orders.
There will always be disagreements between brothers or friends. Kids need to learn how to settle disagreements in a healthy way. Teach them how to deal with disagreements by doing things like active listening, finding a middle ground, and being assertive. These skills help kids learn to understand others and talk to each other better. Even more important, be a good example. The best way to teach your child how to handle disagreements in a healthy way is to do it yourself.
Being able to understand and share someone else’s thoughts is called empathy. It’s a very important social skill that helps kids get along with others and make friends. Teaching your child to see things from someone else’s point of view and pushing them to talk about how they feel can help them develop empathy.
A few other things can help kids learn to understand how others feel. One great example is reading storybooks. Stop reading at different times to talk about how the characters are feeling. Also, ask your kid how they’d feel if they were that person. Empathy is a very important social skill for kids to learn, just like giving.
Not everyone needs the same mental and physical limits as your child. Sometimes, this idea is hard to understand, especially for young kids who learn most of their social skills at home. If your child is friendly and outgoing, they may think it’s fine to hug, ask questions, or talk a lot. Sometimes, they might be right! In other cases, they might cross lines when trying to be nice.
Your child will learn to respect others and themselves more if you teach them how to ask for permission and set limits. Helping them set limits for themselves is the same thing. Tell your kid that it’s okay to say no to hugs, kisses, or other shows of affection from anyone if they don’t want to. It will make everyone feel more at ease if they set clear limits and ask others to do the same.
It will become easier for your child to use social skills as they see how they can help others. Trust that they’ll get there with practice and time. Social development includes learning important skills that everyone needs, like how to share, be patient, and make friends in a healthy way. The people skills they learn attending child care in Silver Spring, MD, will help them in school, sports, and everywhere else they go as they grow up.
MCCA has been recognized by the Maryland State Legislature for its commitment to Montgomery County issued a quality programs and special needs child care Proclamation in 2016 to MCCA for its commitment to Montgomery County child care for more than 50 years. MCCA was also selected as a 2018 nonprofit finalist for a MOXIE Award for boldness and innovation
MCCA is the oldest nonprofit licensed child care provider in Montgomery County and started its work in 1968 as a Community Action Project of the War on Poverty. Recognizing the need for quality child care programs in their neighborhoods, a group of local activists formed an association to establish centers in Montgomery County that would serve a diverse population and establish high standards for child care. Now, more than 50 years later, MCCA’s dedicated and expertly trained staff continue their tradition of providing high quality child care and play-based education for children.
Families with school aged children who can afford their child care expenses during the school year often struggle to afford the all-day programs they need when school is out for the summer. The Richard Krampf Summer Adventures Scholarship Fund was established to help provide children a safe and stimulating place to spend their weeks when school is out. Please contact an MCCA Director for details on how to apply.