Constant communication and interaction with adults and peers is an important condition for the development of a psychologically healthy child. Of course, you need to have a special talent in order to find a common language with any person. However, practically everyone can learn how to hold a conversation, get out of conflict situations with dignity, acquire acquaintances. Like other skills, it is advisable to develop communication skills from childhood. And in this matter, the first assistants are you, dear parents!
But first, some valuable advice: in the struggle for sociability, it is important to know when to stop. You cannot put children in an awkward position, force them to fulfill your instructions, or forcibly introduce them to children. Demonstrate patience and sensitivity - only then the child will take the initiative. Be sure to repeat the rules of conduct with strangers on the street with him.
Rules for effective communication for children
- Expand your baby's social circle already in the second year of life. It used to be enough for him to interact with relatives at home. And two-year-old children have such a limited space for broadening their horizons and the need for socialization.
- When you meet, teach to call yourself and ask the name of the interlocutor. After a few repetitions, this will become a habit for your offspring. Encourage every attempt to bond with peers in the playground.
- During the walk, invite him to ask around how the boy or girl he knows is doing. This can be done not only directly, but also through the parents of the friend. A few phrases - and the next day little friends will not just say hello and say goodbye, but make their first attempts to establish a dialogue.
- Find out what the preschooler would like to buy in the store and ask the saleswoman to voice her own choice. If he still cannot overcome shyness and insecurity, do not blame him for cowardice. Left alone, clarify: “Did you want a chocolate bar? With nuts? What purchase will we make tomorrow? Can you help me choose? What will we ask the aunt at the counter? " Do the same in other public places: cafes, zoo, museum and theater.
- In the children's team, acute moments and stormy showdowns occur literally at every step. Do not immediately rush to breed debaters in different corners of the sandbox, give them time to overcome the misunderstanding themselves. Of course, if the situation is not heated to the limit. Also teach your child not to exacerbate the conflict over small things, and, at the same time, behave with dignity.
- It is still possible (and necessary) for a three-year-old to make comments in the yard, but a conversation with a schoolchild should only be conducted one-on-one. The same applies to new friends: a preschooler can be advised to get to know someone, and older children should independently select a company for themselves.
- Let's not forget to talk about etiquette and its correct application. Children should have a clear idea of how to communicate with an adult or peer. For example, it is enough for a friend to say "Hello" and "Goodbye", but more respectful phrases are suitable for a teacher or doctor - "Hello", "All the best."
Let's play!
Communication skills are also formed in play. Not every entertainment promotes sociability, so we list the most necessary ones.
- Role-playing games
They are ideal for developing communication skills. Children, putting on various "masks", learn to consider a certain thing from many angles, evaluate their own behavior and the actions of others, in the end, try to talk to each other. The most popular version is Daughters and Mothers, as well as many other options: visiting a supermarket, seeing a doctor, going to the zoo.
- Dramatization
Putting theatrical performances at home is a great and very rewarding idea. Such activities are liberating, give room for imagination and creativity. Even if at first your child participates in the scenes as a silent spectator, his vocabulary is still enriched, and his memory becomes stronger. Gradually involve him in the action: ask questions about the fairy tale, pretend not to remember the continuation.
- Games with rules
Such exercises, as well as all sorts of competitions, instill perseverance, attentiveness, the desire to win and teach you to interact with other people. Little children are already familiar with the conditions that must be met: the sequence of the move, the result. Often, kids get upset about losing and even try to change the principles of the game. At an early age, you can give in, thereby increasing your offspring's self-confidence, but otherwise do not give in - the rules must be followed!
- Facial expressions and gestures
Before starting the fun, tell them that you can communicate not only with words, but also with movements (wave your hand) and facial expressions (smile). Draw a clumsy bear, and the fidget will guess, then swap places. Older children love to play in "Association", when the driver plays with any situation or definition through gestures and grimaces.
Meticulous readers will take an interest, is it necessary to develop these very communication skills at all? Let's say a child has a certain personality type, which does not imply a desire to interact with a large number of people.
We agree that it is not worth “breaking” your child, but helping to build relationships with the outside world is simply necessary. There are so many interesting, useful, unusual things nearby that it is sometimes very difficult to live without communication skills. Therefore, the task of parents is to teach the little man to draw this information in a variety of ways, which means that children need to be taught to communicate!
