Children need socializing. Over time, this happens naturally. By the age of around four, some specialists believe children should understand their place in the social hierarchy. This doesn’t mean keeping a complex understanding around how the group social dynamics work, or how to effectively raise their rank within it. It simply means they instinctively understand how to play within a group. It’s seen as important to have this down by this age, as development is often stunted if this is not the case. Of course, four years of age is a rough timeline and not an expiry date, but it’s a good thing to aim for. All kids develop at their own unique pace so this isn’t a strict guideline.
This can either be easy or more difficult for a child to learn. There are many variables here. Children with many siblings will often have an easier time of this, as from the moment they can crawl they are likely exposed to other children of a similar age and stature. Some lone children who are not properly socialised or exposed to children their age might have more trouble. Bob, for example, is extremely chatty and ahead with many of her developmental queues, I feel, because she’s had her older sister and all of her friends to play and socialise with.
Here are some solid methods you can employ to ensure your child keeps the best possible start here:
Enter Pre-School
Not all children require mandatory kindergarten experience before they enter school. This will depend on your state and country of origin. Princess didn’t go to a pre-school but did socialise with other children at her childminders. There’s a reason this is so widely practised. Pre-school experience in a no-pressure environment allows your child to learn the early machinations of socialising. The very basics of social experience are learned here, and increased through exposure to strangers and a range of children.
I’ve just introduced Bob to our local Messy Play sessions. You stay with the children and it’s a pretty short session but I know it’s important for her to socialise with other children.
Preschools are often designed to prioritise group play, and to allow children to learn social boundaries. It’s a little more effort to bring your child to a kindergarten for a whole year, and it might mean hiring a babysitter or playgroup to keep them for the remainder of the half day. However, the social development it could gift your child is hard to ignore.
Social Toys
On the whole, social toys are very good for children to play with. This might mean allowing your child to simulate a family setup in cute dolls houses, or to allow very child-friendly multiplayer video games to be part of your living room. We’ve got a gorgeous wooden kitchen set that belonged to Princess 9 years ago. It’s going to be reintroduced to our living room later this year as it will be great for role playing.
This apparatus allows children to either socially simulate or generally enjoy cooperation with the tools they enjoy engaging with. The best way to learn is through play, and this is especially true for children.
Get Outside!
It’s no accident that children love being outside. Children need to learn about their environment, and doing this is often benefited when they have someone to explore with. Humans have been exploring their environment since our earliest ancestors, and so this hardwired approach to the unknown in a social group is wired into us. As such, it’s the most natural way for us to learn. So why not allow this to be a method in which your child learns basic communication and cooperation?
Simply moving a ball around outside or heading through local parks and gardens can allow for a safe and natural way of seeing the outside world. Even a fun stroll around your garden looking at the flowers and pointing them out to your child can work well. We’re lucky in that we have horses, sheep, deer and even pheasants roaming the land around our home. There’s so much to keep the kids entertained and their minds buzzing.
You can be certain that with these efforts in mind, your child will be well socially equipped for later life.
*collaborative post*
