Helping Kids Thrive: Tips for Nurturing Social Skills

Did you know that a child with strong social skills is more likely to learn more easily, be more engaged with the world around them, and have more self-confidence?  Perhaps most importantly, social skills are fundamental to building meaningful and lasting relationships. Connection is vital, but for the child who has experienced trauma or instability, developing those important social skills can be especially challenging. Deficits in regulating emotions or reading social cues can make it difficult to make and keep friends. The good news is that there are things we can do as caregivers to help kids make those important connections.

  • Model Social Behavior. Kids learn through observing and imitating. Demonstrate empathy, respect, kindness, consideration, and good listening skills.
  • Practice, practice, practice. Make it fun. Role-play conversations and appropriate interactions for different situations.
  • Offer encouragement and sincere praise to boost self-confidence. Good job sharing? Helped a sibling? Navigated a conflict? Let them know what a great job they’re doing to reinforce those skills.
  • Teach appropriate ways to express thoughts and feelings. Encourage communication and asking questions when they don’t understand.
  • Build on existing skills and strengths. For example, are they a good listener? Introduce them to another child who is more talkative. That way they won’t be responsible for holding up most of the conversation.
  • Provide opportunities for making friends. Encourage them to get involved in activities that offer social connections, such as clubs or sports. Host activities and invite friends over.

Recommended Resources

Tip Sheet

Additional Resources