Did you know how important social intelligence is for a child's future? But what is it? And how to develop it?
What is social intelligence
Social intelligence is the ability to understand other people and easily find a common language with them. A child with developed social intelligence senses the mood of the interlocutor. He knows when it is possible to joke, and when it is better to be quiet. He knows how to negotiate and not to quarrel over nonsense.
Many people confuse it with emotional intelligence. In fact, emotional intelligence and social intelligence are close. But they are not the same thing.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand your own feelings and social intelligence is the ability to understand the feelings of others.
But from of normal intelligence or IQ social intelligence differs dramatically. A child may be excellent at solving problems, but not able to make friends with classmates - and vice versa.
What social intelligence consists of
Social intelligence in children is made up of simple but important skills:
- Empathy: noticing that a friend is upset and asking how he or she is feeling
- Children's communication skills: being able to start a conversation, listen without interrupting
- Understanding the rules: know how to behave when visiting or at the theater
- Conflict resolution skills: negotiate instead of fighting or crying
- Reading «body language»: using face and gestures to understand what a person is really thinking
None of this is given from birth - these skills must be learned through live interaction.
Why social intelligence is important for a child
The development of social intelligence directly affects a child's personal development. A child's good social skills help:
- Making friends faster in a new class
- Less likely to be the victim of hurtful jokes
- Easier to learn - even in lessons you often have to work in pairs
- Confidently defend their borders without aggression
What hinders the development of social intelligence
Modern life creates challenges for the development of social intelligence:
- Gadgets replace live communication: a child plays online for hours but doesn't learn to read facial expressions
- Parents resolve all conflicts on the playground themselves - the child is not practicing this skill
- Chasing A's: «it's the grades that matter», not the ability to work together
How can you help your child develop social intelligence?
- Talk at dinner without cell phones
- Play board games: they teach you to wait your turn and lose without tears
- Discuss cartoons and books
- Praise for social behaviors
School helps develop social intelligence, too. Lessons are especially useful Russian languageWhen a child discusses the actions of characters in books, he learns to understand the motives of others and to see the situation from different sides. This is empathy training, which will come in handy in life much more often than knowing all the rules of spelling.
Social intelligence grows through practice, not lectures. Let your child try to solve a dispute with a friend, and you support him with a kind word. Investing in your child's social skills today is an investment in their future happiness. After all, adults with developed social intelligence build relationships more easily, work more successfully in teams and feel more confident in life.
