One of the most important things we can do as adults to help develop our kids' interpersonal skills and increase their chances of success in life is to help them learn how to build and maintain relationships with others. However, sometimes we don't think about all the skills they need to learn for this process to be successful.
Here are the three critical skills that parents can help prepare their children to be more successful in peer relationships:
1) Openness - being non-judgmental and accepting of others.
A child with high levels of openness is likely to feel comfortable with and understand others who are different. A child with low levels of transparency may be more judgmental and less accepting of others. Openness is likely to be related to the ability of children to understand, relate to, and connect with others.
In other words, if you're non-judgmental, accepting of others, and willing to try new things, your friends will be more likely to get along with you.
Making friends is no different. Openness is one of the ways kids can engage more successfully with peers. In other words, if you're non-judgmental, accepting of others, and willing to try new things, your schoolmates will be more likely to get along with you.
2. Active listening skills - being present at the moment, paying attention to others
This is one of the ways that allows kids to engage more successfully with their peers. Engaging and listening will allow you to be calm and focused so that when you speak, your message is clear and gets across. This also allows effective involvement of various emotions in each party. Those who actively listen are more likely to understand what the other person is thinking or feeling, which leads to an increased sense of communication.
3. Conflict resolution - resolving differences through discussion or compromise. This skill helps us to manage conflict directly and constructively.
By allowing your kids to learn more about conflict resolution, you teach them essential skills such as fair play, respect for others, and compromise. Children who have a positive ability to resolve conflict may be more likely to gain acceptance and popularity among their peers.
It's important to teach kids how to give constructive feedback and handle insults and conflicts rather than ignoring them or getting into a fight because there will always be occasions where they will need this to maintain a healthy relationship with any peers they come across.
Conclusion:
If you want your child to be better able to engage with others, the tips presented in this blog post should help improve their skills with openness, active listening, and conflict resolution. These are the competencies that are often associated with greater emotional and social maturity.
With these skills in place, your children will be better able to build and maintain relationships with friends and family members. These skills will also help them succeed in school and with their career plans.
Author Bio
I'm Andrea Gibbs Born, raised, and still living in New York. I'm a work-at-home mom with a background in business development, strategy, and social media marketing. I'm a blog contributor at Baby Steps Daycare in Forest Hills, New York to motivate and educate other parents about how they can get their children ahead of the game in school.
