Toddler Friendship: STORY KIT

This week Ashur and I picked up a new story kit about friendship and understanding. Ashur is very outgoing and loves to play with everyone. Lately, he's been a little frustrated at school. So I thought friendship would be the perfect theme for us in March. My favorite book from the story kit is Sam & Eva. It's a cute picture book that shows young readers how much fun collaboration and cooperation can be. We discussed the characters feelings and compared them to scenarios at school.

There are so many things we parents can do to improve our child's social skills. Here are a few tips.

1. Set A Good Example

Kids learn best from what they see us do, share your own things with them. Practice taking turns at home to get in the habit of giving to others. I try my best to be consciously aware of how I interact with others around Ashur. Making show to model empathy and show respect not only to others but to him as well.

2. Teach Empathy

I often have discussions on different scenarios with Ashur. I ask, if he had a good day at school and if he played well with his classmates. If something occurred I ask, how the other children felt when these things happened. By helping him name the feelings of his classmates it also helps him to understand others.

Let your child know that you care about their feelings by listening. Teach them empathy by trying your best to be a good role model.

3. Practice Role Playing

Pretend play is a great way to practice social skills. Role play scenarios and make sure to have fun with it!

4. Read About It

You can do like us and find your nearest public library to check out a story kit or find some stories on friendship at your local book store. After reading ask, "What do you think this story is about?". "What happened at the beginning? In the middle? At the end?" Ask "Why wouldn't he share", and "How do you think she felt?" Not only does this help your child learn to retell a story but it helps them understand emotions and feelings.