Social skills are a huge area of development for children of various ages, and some of the earlier age ranges are those where these skills often develop most quickly and notably. Preschool-aged children, for instance, will typically be at an age where they can begin learning and internalizing vital social skill concepts, many of which will be important to them throughout their lives.
At Smart Kids Development Center, social skills and development are a huge part of our various Taylorsville child care programs, which include everything from infants and toddlers up to preschool, kindergarten and more. What are some of the chief social skills that preschool-aged kids should be learning, and what are some ways both parents and educators can help here? Let's take a look.
At roughly this age range, children should start to understand the concept of apologizing. This is an important skill, as it shows that they are understanding the rules of etiquette and can smooth over social situations.
Of course, children at this age will not fully understand the complexity of emotions involved in apologizing, which means that teaching these concepts must be done through demonstration. For instance, when a situation arises and an apology is needed, say it yourself as a parent or educator. Show your child that this is the way to handle a sticky social situation.
Sharing is one of the most important concepts for preschool-aged kids, as it helps them understand the importance of cooperation and compromise. This can be harder for kids this age, as they may not fully understand why it's necessary to give up certain things or take turns.
Again, this concept can be best taught through demonstration. Show kids how to split up toys for sharing and explain that taking turns is the polite thing to do.
Another important concept for preschool-aged kids is the idea of not using physical confrontation to solve problems. Again, this may be a hard concept to grasp at first, but emphasizing that it's wrong to hit or push someone else should start at this age range.
Kids need to understand that just because they're frustrated or upset, they should never resort to physical violence. This includes not just violence against other children, but also animals and even their own toys. Helping them to understand that physical violence is never an acceptable response to a situation is essential.
With the right guidance and demonstration, these social skills can be taught to preschool-aged children. At Smart Kids Development Center, we strive to provide the best environment for learning and helping children internalize important social skill concepts. Contact us today to learn more about our Taylorsville child care programs!
