Making
Social Interactions Positive Social interactions are the everyday give and take situations that occur. A social interaction may include saying "Hello" or asking an appropriate question such as "May I play with you?" Social interactions also include the activities that help children make friends. Social skills are the tools that are necessary in order to have positive social interactions. When one child hits another child, they are having a social interaction, but it is not a positive interaction. You may need to help structure these interactions so they are positive rather than negative. One way that a child care provider might structure interactions is to build games and activities into daily routines that will encourage children to work and play together. If a child yells out loud or grabs a toy from his peer, the caregiver might model a more appropriate way to say, "I want my way" or "I want that toy." What may start out as a negative interaction can be turned into a positive one. While games and songs are often used to teach positive social skills, modeling appropriate social skills is still important. Turn-taking is a very vital social skill because it helps children interact with each other in a positive manner. It is also a functional skill that a child will use throughout his/her lifetime. When a child is first learning to take turns, he/she needs to learn about reciprocity. The provider can model this: rather than frequently telling the children to take turns, she can show them how to do during games and activities designed to demonstrate reciprocity. It is also important to help children feel good about themselves. Children who have positive self-esteem are usually less aggressive and more tolerant of others. One way to help children develop good self-esteem is to consistently give them messages that they are valued as part of the class. These messages can be verbal, such as "you work so hard" or "you chose such lovely colors for your picture," but body language also conveys messages. Even when it is necessary to correct a child, do so at his/her eye level. A touch on the shoulder or a nod of the head also lets a child know you like what he/she is doing. |