Cultivating Kids’ Social Skills while Social Distancing

It’s been months since children and teens have been in school in-person. With the new year approaching and many schools opting for hybrid or remote learning, kids will not experience the same amount of in-person interactions as they did during this time last year. It’s understandably troubling for parents who want to ensure that their children develop proper social skills for a healthy life ahead.

Don’t worry—kids and teens continue to have opportunities to cultivate their social skills while social distancing! Help your child make the most of this time by taking an encouraging, purposeful approach with their social interactions. Here are some strategies to get you started…

Focus on family time
Kids and teens are adaptable; they can apply skills in one context to another. This means that children will be able to apply social skills learned from talking to parents or siblings to peer interactions down the road. Don’t underestimate the value of relationships at home! Be socially engaged with your kids to help them learn essential conversation skills. Give them opportunities to experience the give and take of conversations through family dinners, game nights, and other social activities. Through everyday and intentional conversations, kids and teens can learn skills like how to be good listeners, how to take their turn when speaking, and how to engage in teamwork. If your child isn’t demonstrating appropriate behavior, consider offering lighthearted feedback. You could say, “Please wait your turn,” “Be sure to say thank you,” or “It’s not nice to interrupt.” You don’t have to catch your child for every mistake or turn a game of Monopoly into a social skills class. Remember that family time is all about having fun together!

Stay connected with friends online
Just because meeting up with friends in school or after school isn’t an option, doesn’t mean that your child can’t catch up with friends! Your teen can still keep in touch with friends over text, Facetime, or group Zoom calls. It’s easy for teens to isolate when they feel unmotivated, lonely, and discouraged as they’re stuck at home. Encourage your teen to take the first step and reach out to a friend who they haven’t spoken to in a while! This is an opportunity for your teen to gain independence as they coordinate plans and navigate virtual conversations on their own. If your child isn’t old enough to do so on their own, help facilitate their online interactions. Make sure that they maintain connections with friends by scheduling virtual play dates and hangouts. Kids can play online games with each other, work on art projects simultaneously, along with many other activities. Staying connected will help boost kids’ and teens’ morale during these difficult times. 

Model positive behavior
As a parent, you are your child’s first and most important role model. Your kids will look up to you as a resource for how to behave and how to respond to problems as they arise. Kids will pick up on your worries, so don’t worry too much about their social development! Instead, support their social development by modeling positive behavior. Show your children what good eye contact looks like when you talk to them by putting your phone aside and looking at them as you speak. Demonstrate strong listening skills by paying attention to what your children say and providing feedback that shows you’ve heard them. Model what it looks like to have a respectful disagreement by expressing good manners and not losing your cool when your family doesn’t see eye-to-eye. Kids will pick up on your social cues, so be their biggest resource.

While remote and hybrid learning is definitely not ideal for children’s social development, there are many ways to work around it. There’s so much to be gained from extra time with family! Take advantage of this time and teach your child healthy social skills. Give your teen the encouragement they need to make and maintain connections with friends. Be the positive role model that your child or teen needs during this unprecedented time. You don’t have to be perfect, but you can be their example for how to effectively cope with the challenges of a new school year unlike any year before.