How To Build Social Skills In Your Toddler

We all want our kids to have a happy childhood, making friends and memories. Of course, some children are more social than others and can make friends easily. Others may need a little help to bring their social skills to the forefront.

But the question is, why are social skills so important? Well, it’s because they’re more than just about being able to talk and laugh with others. Social skills include behavior and emotional characteristics that can help your child in several aspects of their life.

Here’s how you can build social skills in toddlers.

Encourage Role-Play

Role-play is an excellent way to build social skills because it will almost always require the child to include others in whatever they do. When playing a specific role, your child will think about others, possibly talk to them, relate to them, and might start understanding their feelings too. It might be a slow process, but it will compel them to think about others constantly.

As a parent, it’s your job to encourage role-play in any way that you can. You could teach them by example, or you can buy them the right type of educational toy that would foster their role-playing skills. Also, always play along and pretend when they try to involve you.

Be A Great Role Model

Another great way to build social skills in your toddler is to lead by example. Children learn by watching you in their early years—they’re more observant than you may realize.

When your child sees you socializing with others, greeting them, and having conversations, they will learn to do the same.

Toddlers will also learn a great deal from the relationships they share at home since these are their first few social interactions. So, make sure to build a healthy relationship with them where they feel valued but can empathize with others.

Create Opportunities for Them to Socialize

This is one of the most practical ways to build social skills in your child. If your toddler is constantly at home, meeting the same people every day, they’re bound to feel self-conscious and anxious when they occasionally meet new people.

Therefore, it’s important to create socializing opportunities from the beginning. Take them to play dates and let the child interact with other children in playgrounds and other child-centric spaces.

Also, get your child enrolled in a preschool or early learning center where they can meet and interact with children their own age and socialize in a more controlled environment.

According to many studies, preschool children are more socially and emotionally developed. If you’d like to learn more about this, speak to our team at Ivy League Learning Center. We’re an early education center in Overland Park KS, and we offer excellent preschool programs for toddlers.

Get in touch for more information.