Help Young People Strengthen Social Skills

The foundation for success begins at an early age and is built upon the development of social skills. As demonstrated in a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, social competence in kindergarten can increase the likelihood of graduating high school and college and getting a full-time job later in life.

Strong social skills include how we communicate, get along with others, resolve conflict, and self-regulate. Some ways that we can help children strengthen their social competence and skills are by helping them realize that there will be difficult times in relationships, helping them both talk about how they feel and listen to others and helping to mediate instead of solving problems for them.

This article from the Fred Rogers Center speaks more on the importance of social competence and includes a video of Mr. Rodgers discussing friendship.