You don’t have to look far these days to see how we’re in desperate need of more social skills education…
Most of us expect kids to just “pick up” on clues on how to interact with others.
Often times children are just supposed to know how to deal with their emotions… shoot, most adults don’t know what to do with emotions, and they’ve had many more years of practice in dealing with them!
When we don’t teach kids how to deal when feelings take over, we are setting them up for failure.
Beyond just for our kiddos with special needs, most children these days could use a bit more support in the areas of social skills and self-regulation.
From a rise in the incidence of bullying to recent incidents of school violence in various parts of the United States, something is missing among one of our most vulnerable populations.
With all that school teachers have to keep track of… from standardized testing to larger class sizes to constantly changing regulations and budget cuts… adding more on their plate doesn’t seem to be the answer.
These days, many homes are led by single parents or two working parents. Add on top of that a child with unique needs, and that’s a lot to handle!
But working together as a team with parents, professionals, and educators would be a move in the right direction.
What can you do at home, you say?
Teaching manners are a good start. And modeling how to celebrate differences is a huge step.
Honestly though, sometimes it helps to have something you can just take off the shelf and use with your young ones. We all know you’re busy and no one is expecting you to be the expert in this area.
Enter: “If Feelings Take Over” by Danielle Nichols. This speech-language pathologist (SLP) has created a fun, kid-friendly resource that can be used by parents and educators alike. It has easy to understand concepts and practical tools to teach kids how they can deal with emotional regulation. And it even talks about what peers can do when they see their friend having a tantrum.
