How to teach your kids to network
Is there such a thing as children’s networking? I’m sure there is. Even if your baby has not yet learned to speak, he or she is already interacting with other people: through eye contact, gestures, emotions. Despite the young age, my daughter Elly is a real “great communicator” who is happy to connect with everyone around.
One of the reasons for this is that she constantly watches her sociable parents and copies our behavior. If you want your children to communicate easily, let them watch you do it more often. In addition, here are a few simple tricks that will help develop your child’s networking skills.
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1. Teach your children to introduce themselves
It’s not about helping them develop a 30-second elevator pitch. Just teach them to come up to other children, say hello and say their name. Kids make friends much easier than adults, so the words like “Hi, my name is John” will be enough to start a conversation with others.
2. Provide conditions for meeting new people often
The number of places your kid goes to often determines the number of their friends. So, let them get acquainted at school, in the playground, at a sports class, at a party, in a summer camp, etc. Help your children regularly communicate with new people to develop social skills.
3. Play games to memorize names
Everyone loves to be called by their name. It would seem such a trifle, but it plays a huge role in networking. So, help your child remember other people’s names. One of the most fun games for that is called “Snowball”. All participants sit down in a circle (for example, at a children’s party), and the host says his name. The person sitting next to him repeats it, and then says his own name, for example: “Andrew, Stuart”. The third one repeats the names of the previous two people and says his own. The best part comes when the last person in the circle has to repeat the names of everyone before him.
4. Use every opportunity to talk to your child
When you are driving somewhere, talk about the place where you are going. If you are cooking dinner, share the recipe with your kids or ask them to help you. Even when you are watching cartoons together you can discuss the characters and their actions.
5. Encourage your kids to describe their day and describe yours
Instead of asking “How was school?” ask about the most interesting (strange, funny, etc.) thing that happened to them today. Do not forget to share your news. You can make a real story out of any everyday situation, for example: “I went to the supermarket today, and guess what I saw in the fruit and vegetable section?”
6. Read together
No matter if your child is asking you to read the same fairy tale over and over again. Just do it. After reading, make sure to discuss what happened in the story, whether the character did the right thing, and what the child would do in his case.
7. Play the “catch and throw” game
This game will help your child maintain a smooth conversation. The rules are very simple: you throw the kid a ball and ask a question. He catches the ball, answers the question and asks his own as a follow-up to yours. For example: “What did you do today in your math class?” “Equations. And how was your conference this morning?”
8. Be interested in your child’s opinion and ask him for advice
The conversation topic can be anything: where to go on vacation this year, what to wear to the office, or who, in his opinion, will be the best player of the upcoming football season. Do not reject even the craziest ideas and suggestions of your children. Let them know that you really appreciate their opinion.
9. Teach your kid to be grateful
If some child has done a favor to yours, for example, has shared a toy, suggest doing something good in return. And, of course, it is even better if your kid tries to be the first to bring value to others. Let kindness go around, laying the foundation for further mutual help support.
10. Explain to your children that age doesn’t matter
When we grow up, our network consists of people of all ages. So why should children be limited to communicating only with someone of their age? Of course, safety comes first, so don’t advise your children to talk to adult strangers. But a kid may easily make friends with someone a couple of years older or younger than himself.
If you properly communicate with your children, they begin to follow your advice, and you become their main mentor. It’s time to tell them something about human relationships. Here are, perhaps, the most important things that you should explain to them.
“Give before you get”
Always be the first to help people without expecting anything in return. Try to be useful, even in small things. Kindness will always come back to you though sometimes it happens years after. But good and generous people always have more friends and a happier life.
“Your friendship should be mutually rewarding”
Friendship is not about just giving or receiving. All friends should be comfortable and happy in this relationship. And if “a friend” appears only when he wants to copy your homework, think about whether or not to be friends with him.
“Remember the proverb “A man is known by the company he keeps”
A lot can be said about you judging by your company. Sometimes children make the wrong choice of friends to build up a reputation. For example, they start to hang out with bullies to seem cool or become popular. However, instead of getting popular you risk losing the respect of those who are really dear and important to you.
I hope these tips will be useful, and you will help your children become more sociable. Keep this list at hand and update it based on your child’s nature and character:
- Be a sociable person yourself, so that your children copy your behavior
- Teach your children to introduce themselves
- Provide conditions for meeting new people often
- Play games to memorize names
- Use every opportunity to talk to your child
- Encourage your kids to describe their day and describe yours
- Read together
- Play the “catch and throw” game
- Be interested in your child’s opinion and ask him for advice
- Teach your kid to be grateful
- Explain to your children that age doesn’t matter
- Tell them the main principles of friendship:
- Give before you get
- Your friendship should be mutually rewarding
- Remember the proverb “A man is known by the company he keeps”