HOW TO HELP YOUR TEEN DEVELOP THEIR SOCIAL SKILLS
As you will know if you are reading this as an adult, social skills play a huge part in everyday life – when it comes to one’s personal life, career, and everything in-between.
Those of us who are socially confident might almost take for granted our ability to make appropriate eye contact with someone, to initiate and carry a conversation, and to debate with and persuade others.
But if your teen does not seem as socially skilled and confident, struggles in social situations and making connections with others, you might be asking yourself what role you can play, as a parent or guardian, in helping to improve this.
Possessing social skills will be vital for your teen in the years ahead – so, we thought we would take a look at some of the strategies that could help them gain confidence in this crucial aspect of life.
Encourage them to join teams, programs, or clubs that interest them
Developing teens can get so much out of participation in extra-curricular activities – even some things that they may have never expected.
Your teen might be drawn to joining a club, team, or program due to the opportunity it presents for them to pursue an interest further. But in the process, it can also enable them to bond more strongly with fellow teens, learn about the value of collaboration over competition, and listen to and communicate respectfully with their peers.
As your teen begins to become more independent and ambitious to take on the world, you might look at options of trips that develop social skills for teens, such as those we can offer at The Road Less Traveled.
Getting your kids involved could yet be the making of your teen, taking them out of their comfort zone and helping them to develop not just their social skills, but also their all-round self-esteem, resilience, and appreciation of other people and cultures.
Help them achieve a balance between online and in-person socializing
The Internet has been a powerful force for bringing people together who might not have otherwise ever known each other. If your teen is already active on social media platforms, they may already have a community of virtual friends, emerging from shared interests.
However it is important to maintain a healthy balance between social media and socializing with in-person friends. If your teen is having a lot of “screen time”, this might mean less time for face-to-face interaction which is a different skill to online socializing. The latter depends on such skills as the ability to read facial expressions, tone of voice, body language, and managing and embracing silences.
Finding programs that are unplugged and tech free can help teens with their social skills. They can learn and develop their interpersonal skills, make new friends and gain confidence in new social settings. RLT programs provide this safe space for teens to grow and develop, with leaders on hand to coach and support with such skills.
Role models - Leading by example to teach social skills
Teens are absorbing social skills from everyone they interact with. From teachers, parents, friends, coaches and other significant people in their lives. When helping teens develop their social skills, it is important to lead by example.
Helping teens experience empathy, active listening, positive body language, avoiding leakey language and other social skills helps them build their own toolkit. This exposure helps teens learn effective skills that they can use in their own social settings.
On RLT trips, our leaders model these skills, and we see year after year how participants pick up on such traits over the course of the trip. From thanking other students for helping with tasks, to showing empathy during tough days, to building strong connections face to face, and of course bonding over the many laughs and fun times. Reinforcing these positive social skills, helps students develop their own, which they carry with them into other aspects of life.
Being a teenager can be tough – anyone who has ever been a teen knows that! However, it is also an exciting chapter of many people’s lives, when opportunities – and the possibilities for who they could become – begin to open up.
By being as supportive of your own teen as you can, and being aware of the activities, programs, and trips that develop social skills for teens such as our own here at RLT, you can help your teen to feel more confident and to truly build towards becoming their best selves.
