Social Skills in Children and Their Learning
What are Social Abilities
Social skills are the set of behaviors that allow interaction with others in an effective and satisfactory way ; and we learn to obtain what we need in an adequate way. Thanks to them, anxiety in new or difficult situations is managed. The learning of social skills depends on the person's environment; the society in which they are raised and the family.
Social competence allows the child to live in harmony with those around him and enjoy an emotionally healthy life . Knowing how to relate properly without fighting, arguing or giving up by system is something that the child learns in the family or at school through imitation, or by trial and error. Social skills in children improve their emotional well-being; they reduce stress and anxiety in certain social situations; and encourage and improve their self-esteem.
Importance of social Skills and Their Functions
Social skills become relevant in different areas, such as:
There is a relationship between social skills in childhood and subsequent adaptation to society in adulthood. Low personal acceptance, isolation or rejection of society - imposed or chosen - are consequences of the lack of adequate social skills.
Specialists such as Gilbert and Connolly (1995) postulate that a lack of social competence leads to psychological maladjustment , and encourages the person to use maladaptive strategies in solving their problems. Previously acquired social skills provide a greater probability of overcoming such disorders.
Social skills are related to measures of popularity and school performance .
In the field of health, they are applied to treat and prevent depression, addictions or schizophrenia , among other pathologies.
The lack of social skills causes disruptive behavior and the consequent difficulty in learning.
Certain disorders related to the autism spectrum , such as Asperger's Syndrome, present deficits in social competence. The lack of empathy of these children prevents them from understanding the emotions of others and, therefore, from understanding the consequences of their actions on others.
Basic Social Skills
Social skills are classified into basic and complex. To develop the latter, the basic ones must first be learned . The types of basic social skills include knowing how to listen, holding a conversation, asking questions, saying thank you, knowing how to introduce yourself, and others, which are summarized by the following concepts:
attachment . It is the ability to establish affective ties with other people.
Empathy . It is the ability to put yourself in another person's place and understand their reasons and feelings.
Assertiveness . It is the ability to defend, without harming others, one's own opinions and rights.
Cooperation . It is the ability to collaborate with others in pursuit of a common goal.
Communication . It is the ability to express yourself and listen to others.
Self control . It is the ability to control impulses.
Ability to understand social situations without blaming yourself for them or taking them personally.
Conflict resolution capacity .
3 Social Skills By Ages
Each child develops at his or her own rate, however, social skills mature along a typical timeline , and knowledge of them can serve as a pointer to parents regarding potential problems.
Around 2 months of age . Babies already make eye contact, smile and cry for attention.
Around 4 months of age . The child smiles and plays spontaneously, cries if the parents stop playing with him, and begins to connect with the people around him by imitating gestures.
Around 6 months of age . The child responds emotionally by crying or laughing, is amused by the image of himself in a mirror, and is attentive to strangers.
Around 9 months of age . Strange people cause anxiety and even cause tears; the child shows preferences between his toys.
Completed the year of age . The baby already has her favorite relatives and interacts better with the environment.
Until the 2nd year of age . Temper tantrums and attempts at independence increase; they imitate adults; They are interested in having children around, although they prefer to play with them instead of with them.
Between 3 and 4 years of age . Their range of emotions increases and they express them with gestures and richer vocabulary. They are spontaneously affectionate. They play with other children.
Between 5 and 6 years of age . They start to feel ashamed. They are aware of their gender and prefer the company of children of the same gender. They are more talkative and independent.
Between 7 and 8 years of age . They are alert to the perceptions of others. They don't pay as much attention to parental instructions; They try to express their feelings with words.
Between 9 and 10 years of age . They limit their friendships to fewer children, but these become more intimate friends. They develop their own identity. They are curious and act funny, they also become bullies.
Between 11 and 15 years of age . They value the opinions of others more. They experiment with changes in clothing style and ideas in search of their identity; they are more introspective and jealous of their identity.
Between 16 and 18 years of age . They may become emotionally distant from parents; they show interest in the opposite sex; they are more independent. They can be self-centered and impulsive.
Games to Promote Social Skills
Social skills are the ability to assertively manage relationships with the environment , understanding, respecting and making ourselves respected. They are learned and developed through direct experience, imitation, and positive reinforcement. Consequently, social skills are also exercised through play .
Parental Guidance in Developing Social Skills
Take care of children's self-esteem and help them build a positive image of themselves. Children will gain momentum in their social development and will no longer blame themselves for those negative situations. This is achieved by criticizing the action and not the person; It is important to set children achievable goals and if you praise their behavior, use realistic praise.
It transmits values to children , so that they learn to value themselves and others; that they learn respect, tolerance and listen to others.
Be an example to the little ones . That they observe that, in your interaction with them and with the rest of the people, you act in a coherent way with the values that you want to transmit to them.
Talk with the children and work on their ideas and beliefs ; in life situations, help them understand what is happening with the proper explanations. Try to provide your children with an environment rich in relationships; that children experience different social situations and lose their fear and learn from them. You must allow the children to go through situations of rejection, or in some negative aspect, and explain to them what that experience consists of.
Encourage children to participate in group activities without your presence being necessary. It is essential that children know how to function on their own without constant protection from adults.
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