How Do I Help My Child Socialize at School?
When you send your child off to school for the first time, you've probably spent time preparing him. You've prepared all of the supplies that he needs, talked to him about his classes and teachers, but you might have forgotten to prepare him for the social aspect of school. Don't send your child to school without the abilities to make and keep new friends. Instead, talk to him about making friends and be proactive in making sure he has social opportunities.
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Encouragement
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Give your child the right skills by encouraging her to spend time with other children. This might mean arranging for play dates or introducing her to other children her age, but the extra push might be just enough to bring a shy child out of her shell. While you should never force your child into social situations ,especially when she is shy, gently encouraging her can help to build up her confidence so that she is more apt to reach out to other children. Be patient, and you'll find that as she becomes more comfortable, that she'll socialize more easily.
Clubs and Activities
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Keep an eye out for potential clubs and activity groups that you can have your child join. While he may not be comfortable making friends in class on his own, he'll probably enjoy meeting with other children with similar interests. Sit down with him and look through the clubs and extracurricular activities that are available through school and choose one or two that sound interesting to him. Clubs take the pressure off and allow for meeting and socializing spontaneously--the people there already share interests, so they becomes instant friends. He can always change clubs later to meet different people.
Parents
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If you want your child to socialize better yourself, then you may find that you'll also have to do some socializing with the parents of the children your child has budding relationships with. Getting to know the parents can help you learn more about a child's background and get all parents on the same page with a new friendship. Strike up a conversation while waiting to pick your children up from school, or invite a new family over for dinner to get to know them better. Your child will be more apt to socialize with a child that she knows you have spent time with as well.
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