Q. Due to Covid, my kids are not going to the playground much at all. As a result, they’re not getting to socialize with other kids. What can I do at home to boost my child’s social skills?

A) Children adjust well to any social changes if they have emotional stability at home: a loving and nurturing physical and social environment. By being emotionally available and learning to actively listen to your child, you can provide an environment where your child can practice expressing their emotions. Expressing emotions in a constructive way is an important part of social development.

Active listening means that an adult can spot any feelings that the child shows or says. Adults need to focus on processing what was said, NOT what she thinks was said - our own views and opinions interrupt active listening and learning. Avoiding this will create room for social interaction and allow the child to learn the same.

During these exceptional times, it’s important to maintain routines as this will help the child to more easily cope when returning to normal. Routines teach the child to see a structure in their daily lives and to develop their understanding of causal connection. This in turn will later reinforce a child’s understanding of cause-and-effect: how one’s behavior or emotions affect others.

To support children with their social skills, parents can provide opportunities for role play; such as dressing up into different characters, playing with dolls and puppets, creating small worlds, or reading books. These are activities where a child can use her imagination and place herself in various roles.

Good social skills require empathy. And learning empathy requires the ability to put oneself in the position of another – to understand the emotions someone else is feeling. It is equally important to maintain existing relationships through virtual connections, such as sending messages, pictures, and connecting through virtual meeting platforms. All of these can be done together with the child and will allow her to take the lead in social interactions.

Boosting your child’s social skills during a pandemic

Active listening means that an adult can spot any feelings that the child shows or says. Adults need to focus on processing what was said, NOT what they think was said—our own views and opinions interrupt active listening and learning. Avoiding this will create room for social interaction and allow the child to learn the same.

During these exceptional times, it’s important to maintain routines as this will help the child to more easily cope when returning to normal. Routines teach the child to see a structure in their daily lives and to develop their understanding of causal connection. This, in turn, will later reinforce a child’s understanding of cause-and-effect: how one’s behavior or emotions affect others.

To support children with their social skills, parents can provide opportunities for role play; such as dressing up into different characters, playing with dolls and puppets, creating small worlds, or reading books. These are activities where a child can use her imagination and place herself in various roles.

Good social skills require empathy. Learning empathy requires the ability to put oneself in the position of another—to understand the emotions someone else is feeling. It is equally important to maintain existing relationships through virtual connections, such as sending messages, pictures, and connecting through virtual meeting platforms. All of these can be done together with the child and will allow her to take the lead in social interactions.