Everything you Need to Know about Social-Emotional Skills

Social-emotional skills help us connect with others on an emotional level. They help in building relationships and managing our emotions in a better way. These skills start from childbirth and must be taught as a child grows gradually. Parents, caregivers, teachers and child counsellors are some of the people responsible for teaching social-emotional skills to kids.

How Can Parents Develop Social-Emotional Skills in Their Child                

Right from their birth, babies start learning the reactions their parents give against their emotional and social needs. It is essential for every parent to give their child a sense of security when they are around the kids. They help in developing a good relationship with their families and friends.

How Caregivers Grow Social-Emotional Skills for the Children

After parents, the immediate caregivers are next in inculcating the skills in the kids. They play a significant role as well in teaching empathy to the kids. For babies, these skills start developing when they respond to the caregivers’ actions. For example, they can smile back when the caregiver gives them a smile.

What Role does Teachers Play in These Skill Development?

Once the kids are enrolled in schools, the teachers teach them some more skills that help them to make friends and keep their friendships intact through their school life. They help them gain confidence as they learn new things. From this age, they become aware of others’ feelings.

How Child Counsellors Improve the Social-Emotional Skills

Child counsellors support children who are unable to develop these social services naturally. Often some kids need extra care to improve these skills and that is when child counselling comes into the scene. A child counsellor will carry out certain activities to help the kids learn these skills slowly and gradually. Parents can see a change in their behaviour as they learn to interact with others and also become aware of their emotions.

There are even kids who are frightened to show their feelings in front of others. With appropriate child counselling, they absorb to overcome their fears.

Benefits of Healthy Social-Emotional Skills for Kids

Kids who properly learn emotional skills can gain from them immensely. They have more probability to succeed in every step of their life as they move from school to their work and in their life.

Here are some of the ways in which kids can benefit from learning social-emotional skills:

• Boosts their confidence.
• Make friends and maintain their friendship in a better way.
• Manage anxiety and lower stress.
• Good decision-making.
• Sort out conflicting situations.
• Know one’s weaknesses and strengths.
• Develop feelings of empathy.

Types of Social-Emotional Skills

Social-emotional learning skills comprise different areas. Some of the areas that are taught while teaching social-emotional skills to kids include:

• Self-management

With self-management, kids can learn to set goals, switch their urges and cope with their emotions.

• Self- awareness

With these skills, kids learn to identify their strong points and requirements. They also learn different emotions and how they can use them to grow in their life.

• Relationship Skills

Resolving fights, cooperating with others, and communicating with others are some of the relationship skills kids learn in the initial stages.

• Social Awareness

These skills include understanding others’ emotions, seeing things from their viewpoint, and appreciating variety.

• Responsible decision-making

The kids learn to make decisions and how their behaviour can have effects on others.

Dealing with Depression and Anxiety

There are many kids who are not capable of coping with their surroundings. Certain reasons trigger depression and other mental health issues.  In such cases, parents can take the help of the best psychologists in town to get depression and anxiety treatment for their kids. They can not only overcome these mental health issues but also teach them social-emotional skills to help them in the future.

Parents and caregivers should pay special attention to see if the kids are developing these skills as they are growing up. If they are not giving proper reactions at the right age, then professionals should be consulted.

If you reside in India, and see your kids lacking in social-emotional skills, see them depressed or they show signs of anxiety, you can get in touch with Dr Dipti Yadav, the best psychologist in Gurgaon, India. Your child’s depression and anxiety treatment, will be done in a very professional way. You and your child will be able to happy normal life by getting the best treatment.

About Author:

The author is a psychologist who has years of experience in the mental health area. She has treated many kids with several mental health issues like depression, anxiety and stress. She wants to remove common misconceptions related to mental health problems and make people keener on seeking professional help if required.