This post was sponsored by Boys & Girls Clubs of America as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Social skills are so important growing up!

When we grow up and enter adulthood social skills are everything. They get us through job interviews, shopping trips, and pretty much any other situation where we have to interact with a human being.

Raising our kids with a strong set of social skills is a good idea if we want them succeeding later in life.

This year we started homeschooling our son.

Of course I had the few concerned family members telling me, but what about social skills.

Which, got me to thinking. Social skills can be developed in so many situations and definitely aren’t all acquired in a public school setting.

Here are some simple ways you can boost your child’s social skills pretty much anywhere.

Simple Ways to Boost Your Child’s Social Skills

Activities and More Activities

Getting your kids involved in fun activities is a great way to boost their social skills. This could be at a local park or community center like Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America are a safe place to take your kids where they host fun programs and activities with the goal of encouraging your kids to succeed into adulthood.

It’s also a great opportunity for your kids to socialize with other kids who are interested in the same activities. The best part is that these activities can be done outside of school. So, even if you home school, need something for after school, or during the summer  you can still have a great place for your kids to go socialize.

My sister works at Boys & Girls Clubs of America with the kids, so I see first hand examples of how it positively effects their ability to grow socially and academically.

This year Boys & Girls Clubs of America is partnered again with the Anthem Foundation and The Coca-Cola Company for their Triple Play Program, which started in 2005. In this program kids participate in activities that focus self wellness of the mind, body, and soul.

Check out this great resource from The Boys & Girls Clubs of America to help kids develop wellness in mind body and soul. 

Give Them Space to Play

I love seeing my kids interact with other kids at the park or children’s museum. For little ones you can set up a play date and just watch them play. Give them space to socialize while they play so they can feel a little more independent and develop those important social skills.

 We love taking our kids to our local park and sitting on a bench to watch them play! It’s a healthy activity that helps them stay active and social.

This is an activity that fits in perfectly with BGCA’s Triple Play Program because your kids are exercising their body by playing, their mind through socialization, and soul through healthy snacks and drinks you might bring.

Set the Example

Your example is gold when it comes to socialization. Make sure the social interactions your kids see are positive and confident, so they will follow your example.

The way we are acting socially from our manners to the way we talk will show our kids how they should act and talk. Our kids learn from us, so it’s easy to see why our example has such a big impact on their social skills development.

Be Encouraging

Always be positive and encouraging when it comes to socializing. Give praise when you see them showing good manners and being polite to others around them. If you have little ones be encouraging when they decide to share or do something nice for a sibling, friend, or family member.

Boosting socialization in your kids can be easy with activities or just the way you act around them. While you are working helping your child grow their social skills try to incorporate the other two categories of Boys & Girls Clubs of America Triple Play program, mind and body, by giving them healthy food and drinks and a chance to exercise while they socialize.

How do you boost social skills in your kids? I would love to hear from you in the comments below! 

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