Do you have a youngster getting ready to start day-care, school or meet new friends? Although it can be a fun experience for parents, it is a bit foreign to our children. When it comes time to introduce your child to other kids, social skills can be a very important factor. So what social skills can help with introducing your child to other kids and how can you help them learn them?

Greeting Others

• The first step to meeting new people is greeting them! Here is how you can help your child with greetings.

• Step 1: Look at the new person.
• Step 2: Use a nice voice.
• Step 3: Say, Hi, Hey or Hello!
• Step 4: Introduce yourself and ask their name.

To help your child with this, you can practice and discuss different ways to greet people, maybe even some greetings in another language!

Listening to Others

• A very important step to communication is listening to others. Here is how you can help your child with their listening skills.

• Step 1: Look at the person who is talking to you.
• Step 2: Do not speak until the person talking is done.
• Step 3: Show that you are listening by nodding your head.
• Step 4: Give your response when the other person is finished.

To help practice listening with your child, be sure to keep these four steps in mind while communicating. If your child interrupts, politely remind them that you can’t listen if you are talking.

Apologizing to Others

When children are learning to perfect their communication skills, miscommunications and arguments tend to arise. Apologizing is another essential social skill young children must learn to communicate with others effectively. Here is how you can help your child with their apologies.

• Step 1: Start with “I’m sorry for” or “I want to apologize for.”
• Step 2: Explain what you are sorry for.
• Step 3: Explain how you will do better in the future.
• Step 4: Thank them for listening to your apology.

To help practice apologizing with your child, keep the four steps in mind for day-to-day life. If a situation arises, practice saying apologies with your child and give them advice.