Every parent wants their children to
thrive both at work and at life in general. But what can you do to
help ensure that your little one has the skills to succeed? It goes
far beyond just learning rote facts and passing tests.
Here are five soft
skills that every child needs to master for a better future.
Communication
People communicate
every day and most of their waking hours - through written words,
oral conversations, gestures, and in other visual forms. But can your
child give the right communication in the right way as well as
understanding communication from others?
At both school and
work, people should be able to speak up when necessary, ask questions
and make sure they understand answers, and use different forms of
communication successfully.
How can you help?
Give your child opportunities to practice communication daily. Have
them take the lead in making appointments on the phone, preparing
emails themselves, and giving directions when working on projects at
home. In addition, engage them in groups with members of various
genders, ethnic backgrounds, educational levels, and ages.
Problem Solving
Your child will need
to solve many problems in their life. The earlier they learn to
manage and resolve their own challenges, the better prepared they'll
be for life outside the home.
Teaching little
children to solve their own problems, though, can be hard for parents
who hate to see their child struggling or failing. You may need to
curb your desire to help out, fix problems, or show them the right
way to do things.
Start small by
giving your child a task and letting them determine the best way to
accomplish it. Issue small problems for the child to work out.
Brainstorm with them about problems and encourage them to talk
through various challenges and solutions. Help them find new ways to
look at a situation.
Collaboration
Collaborating is a
combination of many soft skills, including leadership, communication,
and social skills. But it involves taking those individual elements
and using them to foster a goal.
Working with others
should start early - perhaps by teaching small children to wait to
take their turn when playing. Do group activities with your children
at home, like cooking dinner, cleaning the yard, or building a small
project. Sports and clubs are great ways to teach kids to work
together too.
Leadership
Leadership can be a
vague term, but it will help your son or daughter take charge of
their life. Leadership is the ability to self-advocate to achieve
your own goals and to help others to be successful too.
Help your child
learn leadership skills by allowing them to follow their own path -
including both failure and success. Encourage them to follow their
strengths and use such strengths in different ways. And teach them to
believe in themselves and have confidence despite difficulty.
What are practical
ways to teach leadership? Turn failures into an opportunity to assess
and learn for the next time. Encourage children to make their own
decisions where possible as well as to negotiate or strategize when
they want things. And, teach them to work and to see the rewards of
work in tangible ways.
Social Skills
Don't underestimate
the power of simply being able to behave yourself well among others.
Having good manners and being able to spend time with others will set
your child apart from the crowd at school and boost their status at
work.
Start when children
are very young and teach them to say please and thank you, offer
their seat to others, hold open a door, practice good hygiene, and
avoid interrupting others. As they grow, teach them to be respectful
of other's personal space, treat others with dignity, and make small
talk at gatherings.
At One
to One Learning Center, our goal is to help your child develop
not only hard skills to do better in school but also to develop the
soft skills they'll need the rest of their lives. Make an appointment
today to see how we can assist your family.
