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We share five important social skills to help children survive and thrive.

Human beings are social animals, and the pandemic made us realise this even more. Being stuck at home hasn’t been easy or fun for anyone, especially our children, who have lacked the opportunity to learn social skills.

Limited social interaction has affected our children in more ways than one. And, many early-year education curriculums have not been paying enough attention to this in the past.

five essential social skills

Ursula Assis, Dibber International Preschools Country Director, shares five essential social skills to help our children develop and thrive in this social and diverse world.

emotional expression

One of a child’s primary needs is to be capable of expressing themselves successfully. For this, they need to be able to label their emotions verbally. As parents, we need to teach them to distinguish between emotions like happy, sad, angry, hungry, etc. Only once they are aware and able to understand their emotions can they learn to manage then. This is an important social skill as children are exposed inadvertently to various things that stir up an array of emotions, which they need to be able to manage.

empathy

Compassion, care, and kindness all have roots in empathy. A child who learns to be empathetic early in life will treat everything and everyone around them with a gentleness that will help to make this world a better place.

collaboration

Collaboration is essential for adults as well as children. It means working together with others towards a common goal. Collaboration calls for respecting and accommodating when others make requests. It also involves valuable contribution, participation and the will to help others in need.

listening

One of the most undervalued skills for healthy communication is listening. Listening means more than simply hearing what is being said. It also means understanding the message that is being conveyed.

non-verbal skills

While verbal communication forms a significant part of our lives, non-verbal communication is equally important. This includes gestures, manners, postures, and tone of voice. These are important because when you understand things that are unsaid, communication becomes effective and efficient.

Find out how to encourage kindness in your child

Various international preschools have now shifted focus from just academics to your child’s overall development. They employ play-based learning methods to achieve this holistic view of development and learning. Devel oping social skills results in a socially competent child who becomes an asset to our community and the world.

Read more about Dibber’s holistic approach

“At Dibber, we realise that relationships and valuing people for who they are is key to maintaining an environment where everyone feels safe and confident and grows to be the best version of themselves. From the children in our centres to the employees in our global network, we are unified in our belief that everyone deserves to have the opportunity to recognise their intrinsic value and thrive,” explains Assis.

 

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