How to Teach Your Child Good Interpersonal Communication Skills

Teaching a child good interpersonal communication skills is based on the example you set for them to follow. It also takes a conscious effort in providing them with lots of opportunities to interact with others. Helping your child to learn good interpersonal communication skills will help them gain social confidence.

Instructions

1. Communicate and interact with your child in all types of settings on a daily basis. In the morning, have motivational conversations with your child to encourage them to be positive, think positive and say positive things throughout the day. For example, in the morning, you can say, "I know you're going to have a great day today, but the best thing about today is that we can say nice things to other people to help them have a great day too."

2. When you're interacting and conversing with others in front of your children, make sure they see and hear you interacting positively. What did you say the last time someone made you upset in front of the children? Did you handle it gracefully, or did you yell, shout or say mean things? What were your actions or reactions to someone doing something kind for you? Did you take it for granted or did you return their kindness with kind words and actions? Remember children are learning their communication skills and style from you.

3. At the end of the day or during dinner time, discuss positive things that happened during the day. Get your child to communicate about what positive communications they had with their friends or teachers. Did they compliment someone? How many people were they able to make smile simply by giving a compliment? How did they handle losing a game? Were they good sports or bad sports? Talk about the difference between being a good sport and a bad sport.

4. When they are young, teach your children when and how to say the magic words: "please," "thank you" and "you're welcome." Let them know these words are very important, especially when said with a smile. Interpersonal communication skills are more than words being said; the tone, the facial expression and body language are equally important.

5. Make sure your child is involved in extracurricular activities, sports or are around groups of children to help them get acclimated to communicating with diverse groups of children. This also helps them to develop team player attributes, and gives them an opportunity to learn to socialize and utilize their interpersonal communication skills on a frequent basis.

Tips & Warnings

• Children are very impressionable, so make sure you are giving good impressions.

• While it is important for children to be able to freely express themselves, don't allow your child to communicate and interact negatively without correcting their behavior.

References

• BT Group: Learning and Skills
• National Communication Association: Communication Skills Training for Elementary School Students