Open up new horizons

What are your basic necessities in life? Food? Water? Internet? Did your list have any of the subjects taught in school? Did getting straight As make you better off with basic necessities in life? Ohh I doubt. Whatever goes into that list, there is a high probability that 80% of getting all those stuff required some social interaction or other. ( Thinking online shopping? Doesn’t count. Here is why!)

Now let us set our aspirations higher. Once the basic necessities are done with, if you want to be ‘successful’ in life (going by the popular definition of success – if you want to be rich and famous) what topics you learned at school is going to help you out the most? Unless you are going to be a super programmer, cartographer or Nobel Prize winner, there is very less chance that the subjects you learned at school are going to help you out directly. Most of us, successful or otherwise go through life without ever using most of the syllabus covered at school. Schools teach us basic information about topics and enable us to hone our skills in each of the subjects. However there is one skill that we use on a daily basis that can be and should be taught at school. Social skills.

No man is an island. Even the one who wishes to be on one would try to reach out and post it as status on FB or Instagram these days. Social interactions are an important and easily overlooked part of our daily lives. Good social interactions can however be immensely beneficial to us. Not only does it help us sail smooth through life, it also helps us keep our spirits up. Effective social interactions can elevate us higher in the society and improve the lives of others as well. Social skills include but are not limited to communication skills and other soft skills. These soft skills are highly valued by any employer. When we have something as important as social skill being used on a daily basis, don’t you think it is important to take the effort to hone our Social skills? How important is it then to set the stage for kids to learn social skills!

Developing social skills in children prepares them for a lifetime of healthier interactions in all aspects of life. Social skills are undoubtedly an integral part of functioning in society. Displaying good manners, communicating effectively with others, being considerate of the feelings of others and expressing personal needs are all important components of solid social skills. Helping children to develop these important skills requires a different set of strategies in each stage of development. Inculcating social skills in children begins at home at a very early age. Children start picking up these social skills of interaction at an early age from their parents, siblings and friends. However teaching the importance of social skill at school and sharing the best practices will help children to become better at their social interactions.

In order to build gratifying human relationships, it is vital that children learn and have the opportunity to practice the social skills considered appropriate by society. It is important to teach children to conduct themselves in ways that allow them to develop relationships with other people. As most children grow older, they interact more and more with people in situations where direct supervision by parents/teachers is not possible. Drawing from what they have learned at home and school about socializing, children make friends within their peer group and soon learn more about socializing, hopefully refining their social skills as they grow and mature. At any given point of time, it is good to take a check and a refresher course into developing your social skills. It will open up a new horizon for you.

Do visit our wide collection of social skills worksheets and e books in the below links.

• Social Skills Worksheets
• 101 Ways to Teach Children Social Skills and other training docs
• Social Skills e-books

Do drop us a comment and let us know how you like our collection of social skills worksheets!