It’s essential for children to be able to socialise and make friends in school. As a parent, ensuring that this happens can be a real challenge and a constant worry, particularly if your child is extra introverted, shy, or has special needs.
However, with your help as their parent, it’s possible for your children to be able to engage better with peers and develop meaningful friendships. If you need some top tips, why not follow this basic three-step model:
-
Let them join clubs or activities
The classroom may not always be the easiest place for children to make friends. The class is focused on the teacher and learning, and not necessarily the interaction between the students. If your child isn’t particularly extroverted, they may find it difficult to connect with children during school play times. And after school and weekends will likely be a similar story.
To help children be able to bond with others, it’s a good idea to give them a common interest. Find out what your children enjoy doing most, be it a sports team, music ensemble, or group activity and get them enrolled into the club. That way, the initial part of socialising is already done. And they can form friendships based on this. Being a member of a team can also help to increase your child’s self-esteem by giving them a sense of belonging.
-
Consult with the teacher or carer
Teachers are trained experts in providing instruction and child care. Don’t be afraid to discuss things with them, particularly to ask if your children are experiencing difficulties with others. It’s important to gauge what the general picture is, as socialisation problems may lead to academic problems too. If your child is acting in an anti-social or disruptive way, it will affect their academic performance, as well as that of others around them.
Continuous disruptive behaviour may also impact your child’s chances of forming friendships in the long run. Similarly, if your child is experiencing anti-social behaviour from others or bullying, this could make them socially withdrawn and therefore affect their performance. The Guardian Child Care in Sydney provides its caregivers with appropriate training to look out for any warning signs. Parents can consult with the child care to see what they can do to help their child socialise.
-
Role-play with your children
If your children are experiencing difficulties in making friends at school, it can be helpful to spend some time with them role-playing. This may enable you to identify where some of the problems lie. Even if can’t pinpoint the issue, it may give children an idea of what to expect from socialising. Not only will you be role-playing, but you can also be the role-model.
Participating in this kind of activity should make your children feel more comfortable interacting with classmates. You can ask your children or their teachers and carers what kind of problems they’ve been experiencing. And then base your role-plays on those kinds of situations. You can help your children figure out some possible solutions to scenarios that they’ve previously not managed well with.
These are our top three tips on how to help your children socialise in school, but we’ve got plenty more advice to give you. If you’re unsure about the specific needs of your children, then give a child care a call for consultation.
DISCLAIMER – This article is published in partnership of Mediabuzzer
