How to teach my teen social skills? Is your teen socially awkward? Does your teen need social skills? Maybe they have spent so much time digitally connected — texting rather than in-person interaction.
Having the ability to connect and chat via social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok are making it far too easy for our teens to forego face-to-face interaction altogether. Now many teens and young adults are lacking (the much needed) social skills to build friendships and relationships with peers or possibly their own siblings.
It’s important to know that you are your teen’s biggest influence. Although you may not see eye-to-eye with them on many things, and argue about stuff, studies have shown kids will always look to their parents for their approval.
Always to be consciously aware of how you interact with others when your teen is watching. Are you asking questions of others and then taking the time to actively listen? Do you show genuine empathy for friends and family in your life?
Teens are constantly watching the adults in their lives. Social skills are something that are developed and improved upon over a lifetime. Social skills are essential in building both personal and professional relationships. Social skills are used to communicate with others daily in a variety of ways including verbal, nonverbal, written, and visual.
Why are improving your teen’s social skills important?
Social skills are important because they can help your teen communicate more effectively and efficiently and, as a result, help them build, maintain and grow relationships with family, peers and eventually their colleagues and clients. These skills are important to maintain, and improve their relationships and career.
Top 5 Social Skills:
- Effective communication
- Conflict resolution
- Active listening
- Empathy
- Respect
Do you have a teen or possibly young adult that is lacking in social skills? Are they failing to thrive — unmotivated, withdrawn with no direction? We are witnessing more and more young people struggling with ordinary life skills, not being able to relate to their peers or simply go on college or job interviews.
If you are a parent that is completely frustrated (and saddened) as well as at your wit’s end with your teen or young adult and their failure to move forward in life, there are programs specifically designed to help them get back on the right track. Maybe your teen needs time to regroup and gain some emotional maturity.
Getting help through Life Skill Programs
Life Skills Programs for young adults and teens (16-21) years old can offer the following ways to help stimulate your teen in a positive direction, incorporate both social skills and life skills and give them a second opportunity at bright future:
1. Therapy through emotional growth. A teen or young adult displaying a level of resistance to school or work will need to address the underlying causes in therapy.
2. Building encouragement through a positive peer environment. Expressing frustration and anger with your child will likely make them feel worse and increase failure to launch behaviors.
3. Structure. Help your young adult find the right balance between staying busy and having down time.
4. Goal setting through mentorship and internship programs. Typically, these programs will have interests and enrichment programs your teen will be involved in — and more importantly be motivated by.
5. Accountability through basic life skills of chores, hygiene, financial literacy, culinary skills, healthy diet decisions and more.
6. Enrichment programs that can range from caring for animals, woodshop, landscaping, farming, arts and music, community volunteer work, gardening and more.
7. Education – from finishing high school to starting college classes or enrolling in vocational training, every student has an opportunity to learn.
Life Skills Program can equip your child with coping skills to deal with adversity and change that real-life can throw at them, as well as help students identify who they are by what they can do, rather than what they have done.
Also read:
Why Therapeutic Settings Are Effective
5 Benefits of Therapeutic Boarding Schools
How to Help Struggling Young Adults
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If you’re interested in quality life skills programs, contact us to learn more to find the right program for your struggling teenager.
