5 Ways to Improve Your Tween’s Social Skills

There are many different life skills our children must learn in order to be successful throughout life, but social skills may be right at the top of that list. While they are not being formally taught and graded on the skill set in school, social skills are certainly something children are tested on by their peers.

Social skills are needed to interact and adapt to various environments and can play a very important role in a child’s emotional health and well-being. Fortunately, there are ways parents can help their tweens improve their social skills.

Helping Your Tween Improve Social Skills

If your tween hasn’t fully come into his or her own regarding social skills, the following ideas can help:

1. Embrace volunteer opportunities. Not only does volunteering help kids embrace an altruistic nature, but it can create many chances for them to practice the appropriate etiquette when they are working with others that may not be in their peer group.

2. Talk things out at home. Social situations change daily for tweens, and they most likely are experiencing many things for the first time. You should discuss how friendships can change and let your child ask questions. Remind him or her of the characteristics and traits that make a good friend, as well as what doesn’t make a good friend.

3. Remain encouraging. Remember, this age group seems to be in a constant state of flux as they work at figuring out themselves and the world around them. If they are becoming anxious over new situations or need to meet new people and friends, take it upon yourself to encourage them.

4. Model respect. Our kids are always watching and learning from how we handle various experiences and situations, so make sure you’re modeling the right actions. Find tactful ways to talk to your child and his or her friends about how to treat each other and how to work out difficulties when they arise.

5. Role-play social situations. Could this seem a bit silly to your child at first? Possibly. Will it help in the long run? Definitely. Once the silly-factor has been overlooked, role-playing various social situations with tweens can help them practice how to handle different scenarios or interactions they may have with their peers. Remember, practice makes perfect!

The drama programs created by Drama Kids International were designed with social skills in mind. Through our programs, children are learning the skills needed to be “dramatically different.”