Tracking Your Child's Social Skills
Posted: Sep. 4, 2007
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URBANA - Parents may track their child's growth and academic ability, but U of I Extension family life specialist Angela Wiley says that social skills are also important. And, Wiley says that social competence, involves skills that can be learned, even if your child is quiet and introspective by nature.
Wiley says that it's important to coach social skills, but children also learn a lot from the way their parents treat them and from watching how their parents interact with others.
But, even if the adults they know are models of social competence, kids may still need hands-on coaching to master these skills themselves. The only way to know is to observe your child with her peers -- and that can be heartbreaking if your child is struggling.
None of this is easy because taking stock of your child's social skills requires brutal honesty, says Wiley.
But, she says it's worth it though because there's a window in your child's early social life during which you can intervene and make a difference -- from first to about sixth grade, and if you realize there's a problem, you can take advantage of that opportunity.