Communication Skills For Back to School Time
Children today are a lot different from when we grew up. Technological advances have played a major role in how children are spending their time these days. Do you find your children coming home from school to surf the Internet, watch television, play video games, or texting on their cell phones? While these forms of entertainment do have their time and place, we as parents should encourage our children to read a book, do some coloring or write in a journal about their day instead. Technology is a great tool but without the right platform, it can become a passive means of escape. A child’s written; verbal and social skills can suffer greatly as well if the issue is not addressed.
Parents must lay the groundwork for good communication skills for their children. Communication skills are life skills. Social media is exploding these days and our children are spending a lot of time on these sites. However, communicating with another person through a computer is very different from face-to-face interaction. Computers are making it fun for kids to share their thoughts and feelings because it is so informal but that does need to get carried over into real life. Sharing one’s thoughts and feelings is one of the major keys to developing healthy relationships and should be encouraged especially when they are not on the Internet.
So how do we keep our children interested in learning social skills that don’t involve being on the Internet? How about playing board games with family and friends? Spending time with your children is very important and having a family game night is both fun and educational. Board games teach problem-solving. Board games are interactive and require players to communicate effectively.
Playing board games teaches us about healthy socialization like learning how to both win and lose gracefully. It can also teach us about teamwork, and encourage us to work more effectively together if we want to win. Some board games like scrabble, and Pictionary will require us to be more effective communicators if we want to win. Critical thinking skills are needed and acquired through games such as checkers and chess. These two games will teach our children how to think ahead, solve dilemmas, and consider the consequences of their moves. There are very few times in life when good communication skills are not necessary, both verbal and nonverbal.
The communication and social skills that we need to learn for the world begin in our homes. Technology is wonderful but board games are a better way for family members to learn from each other and develop those interpersonal skills that will follow them into life. Playing board games with your family gives you an opportunity to gain some insight into what makes your family and friends unique. It is a great way to coach your children to boost their communication skills.