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6 Ways to Improve Your Child's Social Skills. Few things can be more frustrating than watching your child struggle to make friends or having a difficult time fitting into certain social settings. There are several steps parents can take to improve their child's social skills.

1. Follow Their Interests: Whether it's participating in a favorite sport, playing an instrument they like, this is the first step toward building social skills.
2. Learn to Ask Questions: The best way to find out about others and form connections is to ask questions that specifically pertain to the person the child is talking with. Encourage your child to ask questions that can't be answered with just a yes or no.
3. Practice Role Playing: Have your child pretend to be the person they have difficulty talking to or getting along with. This will give you an idea of what this person is like, or at least how your child perceives this particular person. Then switch roles to see how your child does when pretending to interact with the person. Suggest ways your child can more effectively talk with the individual. 
4. Teach Empathy: Ask how your child feels in different scenarios. Understanding his own feelings will help him better understand others’ feelings. Asking your child how other people might feel when each of these scenarios happen is part of teaching empathy and helps children learn how to actively listen to others. Teach him to focus on what others are saying and then thinking about what the speaker has said once the conversation is over.
5. Know Your Child's Limits: Some children are simply more social than others. A child who is shy and introverted should not be expected to interact in the same way as a child who is naturally outgoing. Some children are comfortable in large settings, while others find it easier to relate to their peers when in smaller groups. 
6. Be a Good Role Model: It's important to be consciously aware of how you interact with others when your child is watching. Are you asking questions of others and then taking the time to actively listen? Do you show genuine empathy for friends and family in your life? Children are constantly watching adults in their lives.

Dr. Bassem Abou Merhi

Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

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