Boys Town North Florida

Parenting Help from Boys Town North Florida
Learn the Steps to Basic Social Skills

Social skills are vital to getting along with others and making appropriate decisions in social situations. Teaching children these behaviors early on is essential to their development and provides a helpful framework for parents.

Knowing how and when to start this process can be difficult, but Boys Town’s “Common Sense Parenting” eases some of the stress with helpful tools and tips you can use for teaching these skills to your children. Having a guide or plan of action makes learning new social skills easier for kids and parents alike. Boys Town’s parenting website, www.parenting.org, shares these helpful hints:

• Teach each of the skills step by step.
• Take time for you and your child to process each step. Explain skills thoroughly and make sure your child understands why each skill is important before moving on to the next skill.
• Make the process fun.
• Use positive reinforcement to let the child know he or she is performing the skill correctly.
• Be patient. Learning new skills is a process, not a quick fix.

Asking permission and following instructions are just two of the 16 basic social skills outlined on www.parenting.org. Each skill includes a step-by-step instruction guide on learning the skill as well as an explanation of why each skill is important. Also included is a question and answer link to aid parents with additional concerns.

To learn more about Social Skills 101 and other helpful parenting tips, visit Boys Town’s parenting website, www.parenting.org. To learn more about or purchase the Common Sense Parenting book, visit www.boystownpress.org.