There are parents who find it quite difficult to work with their teenagers on social skills. These skills are key when young people can relate without any problem with other people. Knowing how to relate helps the young person to develop such important values as empathy or self-esteem.
Social skills must be worked on from when children are small until they reach the stage of adolescence.
What are social abilities
Social skills are necessary and essential behaviors when it comes to interacting and relating to other people. These abilities are different and distinct depending on the context in which the adolescent himself finds himself.
Adolescence is a very complicated stage for any young person, as they undergo a series of changes that will help you to forge your own identity. Hence, it is essential to be able to work on these skills both in educational centers and in the family itself. Elements such as respect or tolerance towards others must be encouraged at all times.
There are numerous ways of working on these social skills among young people, such as group dynamics. Through them, the young person is able to interact with other people of the same age and put yourself in their shoes in order to solve various problems.
What social skills should be enhanced
- They must first learn a series of basic social skills such as being able to participate in a conversation, give thanks for something or know how to listen to others.
- Apart from the above, it is good to work on another series of much more advanced skills, such as asking for help when they need it or asking for forgiveness for something they have done wrong. In this case it is more complicated since it is difficult for young people to recognize when they are wrong and must ask for forgiveness. Young people must realize at all times that everyone is wrong and it is good to apologize for it.
- There are also a number of social skills that are related to feelings. It is good for them to learn to recognize their own feelings, the empathize with others and express affection when necessary. Emotional education is key in today's society, hence the importance of learning it. Unfortunately, there are many adolescents who do not work on these feelings and the lack of affection and empathy it's pretty obvious.
- Planning social skills are also important in the education of the very young. It is good to have initiative, to reach agreements with other people and to be able to resolve various conflicts that may occur throughout your life. These types of skills are important when working in a group in class or long-term in the workplace. You have to know how to work in a group and be able to solve problems in a reasoned way.
- A final type of social skills that a young person must learn are those that represent an alternative to possible aggression. In this way it is very good that you know how to defend a friend by speaking or maintaining self-control and calm at all times.
As you can see, social skills are more important than people may think at first. Although adolescence is a difficult time in the life of the young person and the family itself, being able to teach these skills to young people is key. This will help you to be able to relate perfectly with the rest of the people. Educating and raising a child is not easy at all and even more so when he is a teenager, however it is a task that both parents and professionals must do to ensure that in the long term they can have a series of key values to forge their personality.