5 Ways to Expand Your Child’s Social Skills

In my pack of 8 kids, several are very outgoing and socially savvy, one is shy, a couple are well ahead of their years when it comes to good social graces, and a couple more are socially appropriate but definitely rely on me for guidance as they navigate their awkward tween years.

Basically, kids reach social milestones as they grow and mature just like they meet developmental milestones.

In Improving Kids’ Social Skills, Susan Diamond, M.A., a speech-language pathologist and author of Social Rules for Kids says "It's important to know the normal developmental skills appropriate for different age groups so you can determine where help is needed."

My kids, now ages 11 through 24, have all experienced a different journey along the road to attaining appropriate social interaction skills so today, Mighty Mommy shares 5 ways you can help your child expand his own social graces which will help him grow into a confident young adult.

#1. Identify Age-Appropriate Social Skills

Too often, we as parents compare our own kids to their peers when we’re not sure if they are reaching milestones at the appropriate age. While some kids absolutely start out a bit slower in the socializing department (half of my eight kids included) there are some helpful milestones to keep in mind.

In How Can I Help My Kids Develop Better Social Skills?, a study done at Vanderbilt University found the top 10 social skills kids need to succeed in elementary school, based on surveys of 8,000 elementary teachers and two decades of classroom research, are:

1. Listen to others
2. Follow the steps
3. Follow the rules
4. Ignore distractions
5. Ask for help
6. Take turns when you talk
7. Get along with others
8. Stay calm with others
9. Be responsible for your behavior
10. Do nice things for others

#2.  Pretend Play

I had three significantly speech-delayed children, and one of the strategies our speech-pathologist used on a regular basis was engaging my kids in pretend play. Anything from playing house and taking care of dolls and stuffed animals to being a fireman who would help people and put out fires became a part of each and every session.

One of the reasons pretend...

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