BESTCITYTRIPS
Making your kids become more social when they’re naturally introverted may be challenging. Still, the benefits of social activities and relationships with friends are highly beneficial for their mental and physical health. However, you don’t have to force it too much because they might fear they’re not enough, affecting their mental condition. You must encourage kids to do what they like and choose fun activities they consider worth doing, and you’ll guide their development by discovering who they are and what they want.
Being a parent isn’t easy, but it is certainly rewarding when you see your kids happy and content with their life. Therefore, we’ll discuss the reasons why social activities are essential for kids and how you can help them be more active and friendly.
Socialization cultivates various sets of skills
Children will acquire a certain set of skills depending on what activities they will perform. Regardless, depending on what they like doing the most, different kids can get diverse characteristics from the same activities because specific outcomes impact them. However, rest assured because as long as your kid is getting out there and doing something, they will develop a particular part of their brain and will be able to have a new skill, said Andre Chapman. André V. Chapman is the Founder & CEO of Unity Care Group, Inc. He is the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions for his community involvement and contributions in social services. Mr. Chapman released a book entitled, Roses in Concrete: Giving Foster Children the Future They Deserve, which sheds light on the underserved population foster youth in America. He has a Master’s in Organizational Management.
By socializing, your child will learn to:
- Foster empathy by watching others struggle and helping with what they can;
- Improve language skills through constant communication and exchange of words;
- Discover the concepts of sharing by accepting to give their toys or share meals;
- Get more confidentin what they do;
Offering kids the opportunity to meet and talk with others of their age nurtures the chances of friendships, which have the following benefits:
- They ensure a feeling of belonging to a group or community;
- They allow for support in more challenging times;
- They help lower stress levels;
- They improve their speech skills;
Socialization helps them learn more about emotions
As kids, it’s quite easier to get through the first years when talking about emotions because they’re not able to identify them that fast and act. For example, as kids grow, they realize crying when upset won’t solve their problems because they’ll need to stand up for themselves. That takes a lot of courage and self-esteem to achieve, which is something they should start to be aware of.
As long as children start to socialize and realize their friends can get sad or mad, too, they’ll gain all this information on how people look when feeling a certain emotion, which will help them be more aware of the outside world in the future. This also helps you, as a parent, to teach them about dealing with uncomfortable emotions and learning anger management skills, for example, for kids who struggle with getting angry often. Teaching about emotions also has to be strongly linked with reinforcing good behavior through positive consequences, so they won’t feel anxious or fearful of negative effects when making a mistake.
Socializing might help improve a kid’s physical state
Socializing and staying in shape might not sound related, but when it comes to a kid’s behavior, that’s totally normal. Kids love to play games, during which they’ll still talk, ask questions, tell jokes and laugh as they run around the yard. It’s advisable to take your kid to different activities and places where they can maintain their physical health and socialize simultaneously.
For example, you could take your kid to Brooklyn day camps as an outdoor activity or even to camps in Queens if you’re closer to that location. Residential summer camps for kids are where some of the most beautiful memories will form and also where they’ll learn plenty of new things. And, sometimes, your kid should spend some time away from home, no matter how much you want to keep them as close as possible. Their development relies on socializing and getting through various situations as much as possible.
Socializing helps you bond better
A happy and energetic kid is one with whom you can bond the most. This is because they’re confident enough to talk to you about almost anything and share their opinions and emotions, as they know you’re not judging or punishing them for it. It’s vital to be open with your kid and allow for different conversations to start because, in this way, you let them know this is healthy behavior, and they’ll be more open to being social at school or with other kids.
Having good social skills means they can better understand plenty of things, which can help you guide them through growing up more quickly. That’s because you won’t have to punish them for making bigger mistakes as they understand the consequences of behaving in a certain way and keep themselves away from trouble.
Socializing helps them get better grades
Lastly, getting better grades is one of the best things about being social. That’s not only because teachers can communicate with them better but also due to the fact they’re better at understanding concepts and following rules. At the same time, being social also means asking a lot of questions and being curious, allowing them to learn many exciting things only by talking with teachers or someone knowledgeable in a certain subject.
Of course, children are quite shy when it comes to asking questions, which is why you need to guide them in this journey and assure them it’s okay to ask many questions, even if some people can find this annoying at times. There’s nothing wrong with kids asking whatever goes through their heads because this is a way of discovering the world and learning what’s around them.
Final thoughts
Whether your kid is an introvert or extrovert, allowing and teaching them to socialize will help them grow and become better adults. Being more social will make your kids more emotionally aware, have better grades and maintain their physical health. So next time your kid asks a question, make sure you start an engaging conversation and guide them to becoming more friendly and open.
