When Do Kids Learn Social Skills?

If you are asking “when do kids learn social skills?” the answer is they begin learning shortly after they are born. In a healthy home environment, one of the first things a child learns is compassion. When an infant’s mother or father responds to his needs, he learns someone cares about him. This is the very first step in kids learning compassion and caring for others.

The preschool years give kids plenty of time to learn how to get along with others. First, he should learn what belongs to him, what belongs to other members of the family, and what is shared by the entire family. In this kind of environment, most children learn to share willingly, to be generous, and respectful.

He can also learn the valuable skill of patience. Children who learn early that other people in his family have basic needs learn the world does not revolve around themselves. Even something as basic as waiting to take a bath until someone else is finished shows children how to be patient.

More skills are learned when he shares a table with family. From good manners to not taking someone else’s serving of a favorite dish, eating meals can be a learning experience. Having breakfast and dinner together every day is a good start.

When parents believe their child’s school should teach him the skills he needs, there are many reasons this is not the right approach. One reason is it is the parent’s responsibility. If you provide your child with the necessary social skills at home, beginning as early as possible, it will benefit him throughout the rest of his life. He will get along better with others, and also have more respect for himself. It is a great foundation that every child can carry with him into his adult life.

Team Sports’ Social Affect On Children

It can be difficult sometimes to get our children fully accustomed to the ways of society; however, having your child join a sports team can really help. You may ask yourself, how does getting my kid into team sports help them socially and the answer is there are several ways.

Getting your kid involved in sports can have one tremendous impact on your child: it teaches them how to cooperate with others. It teaches your child to work as a team, and this mentality will help them throughout their entire life, from school to jobs to family situations. Perhaps the most important is how it affects them as an employee and coworker. It teaches your child that everyone has a part to play, and it takes the full cooperation of each individual to make the team whole.

Another, less obvious, effect is it teaches your child that we cannot always get our way, and that it is okay for things to sometimes not go as planned. Every child dreams of winning every game, but after playing for some time they will realize that they wont win every time, but even so it is still okay because at least they tried their hardest.

Team sports can also teach your child respect, not only for their own teammates but for the other side as well. At some point in everyone’s life they will run into someone they are up against or that they don’t get along with and healthy competition will teach your child that even though they may not be on their side, you must still be respectful and kind. Along the same lines it teaches children how to play fair, which again will help later in life in careers and relationships.

Aside from the obvious benefit of physical activity, putting your child in team sports can also have positive social benefits by teaching them important lessons that they will lose all their life.

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About Us

Joanie, Sam and myself (Kathryn,) have been mommy friends for 15 years. We have seen our kids go through various school functions together, from fundraisers, to art class to soccer practice. We each have kids above 15, above 10 and above 5 and we noticed a disturbing trend in the public school system, the demise of Physical Education. While we don't believe competitive sports is the route every child should take we are advocates of positive physical activity for children.

If no one says anything the day will soon come that you are paying the same amount in property taxes and your children will be without PE, Music, Art and basic Math, English, History and Writing are done on the "as long as you feel good" standard.

We are 3 moms for Physical Education in Schools.