- Teach your child about conversation skills
Conversations are all about picking up on conversational feedback and active listening. Conversational feedback involves knowing when to contribute and when to listen based on verbal and non-verbal cues. Children gradually understand the balance between asking questions about others and talking about their own interests. Active listening (when a person makes it clear that they are paying attention) makes others feel acknowledged.
Things you can tell your child:
- Lead a conversation by talking about ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’
- Don’t only ask questions- talk about yourself as well!
- Give others a chance to speak by only answering the question at hand
Children model their parents’ behavior. If authoritarian parents control their children through threats, blackmail, and punishments, their children will resolve conflicts similarly. Conversely, authoritative parents who are warm, responsive, and use positive discipline strategies tend to have children who are more prosocial. These parents often discuss and logically reason through conflicts, and their children are more likely to do the same.
- Promote self-regulation strategies to reduce disruptive behavior
Negative emotions are inevitable; through self-regulation, children can prevent them from affecting their relationships. Parents can help by sympathetically and constructively talking about negative emotions- this leads to better self-regulation skills and more positive relationships.
Children need to do more than regulating their emotions. Being able to see a situation from another person’s perspective, while reasoning and evaluating their needs, is key to resolving conflict and cultivating relationships. You can teach your child the power of compromise and negotiation- this comes more naturally with siblings. Even better, try role playing social clashes with your child and collaborate to come to a solution.
- Encourage activities that inspire cooperation
Children get along more easily when they are working together towards a common goal. For younger children (whose social skills are still developing), it can be better to remove potential sources of conflict. If your child has a playdate, try removing items that could spark competition or conflict.
Sources
https://www.parentingscience.com/kids-make-friends.html
Mon-Sat