| /September 2, 2010/ 10 Tips for Making New Friends |
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STARTING THIS MONTH - NEW SOCIAL SMART KIDS SKILLSHOPS - SOCIAL SKILLS GROUPS WHERE KIDS WILL LEARN HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS, SPORTSMANSHIP, CONVERSATION SKILLS AND MORE! ENROLL TODAY! 10 Tips for Making New Friends Starting a new school year is so exciting and yet, anxiety-provoking. Kids spend considerable time contemplating teacher selection and classmates and often worry that they won’t know anyone in their class. Familiarity with others helps us all feel more comfortable in new environments so it’s certainly understandable that kids would feel anxious about this aspect of a new school year.
This time of year can be particularly stressful if a child has general difficulty forming new friendships. Here are some tips on how to help guide your child through the first weeks of a new school year
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| /April 12, 2010/ Fire Pits and Flashlight Tag |
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I love hanging out around fire pits. It’s like camping but without having to sleep on the ground. The crackling fire, Jiffy Pop, marshmallows, s’mores (quite possibly the best treat, ever!), it’s all so…summery! I especially love it if the yard is full of kids playing flashlight tag with some adults to keep me company (I’ll be the one nice and toasty by the fire). When I was a child, all the kids in our neighborhood used to play hide and seek every night in the summer...
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| /August 31, 2009/ Learn About Life, Make New Friends |
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Learn About Life, Make New Friends Imagine eight middle school-aged girls at a restaurant giggling over silly jokes, carefully examining the menu to make their selection, feeling a little nervous about placing their order with the wait staff, and generally excited to be out dining together. Some are very talkative and ask a lot of questions of their friends while others are quieter and usually provide limited answers. Their parents, in this case mothers, are not with them but only a table away having their own brand of good time. All the girls are happy to be there with friends. This night out is a manners lesson for Learning for Life Troop #65. What is Learning for Life? It’s an amazing organization which I have been part of for nearly 3 years that provides social opportunity for children while also teaching them life lessons.
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| /March 26, 2009/ Taking the Stress Out of Recess |
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Each day, children look forward to relaxing and rejuvenating during recess. It’s a chance to chat with friends, run around, relax, and prepare them for the second part of the day. Some kids who don’t have a friend group to join or who aren’t comfortable with the usual group play that occurs at recess have a hard time figuring how to enjoy this free time. For them, there is a lot of stress with recess. They wander around, visit the nurse, and hang out in the bathroom and so on. They are lost souls without a plan as to how to make the most of recess.
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| /September 30, 2008/ Family-to-Family Gatherings |
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Socializing is so easy in the summer months. Impromptu get-togethers happen with neighbors just by mowing your lawn and seeing your neighbor doing the same or bumping into friends on a bike ride. Once school is back in session and everyone’s after school activities kick into gear again, our free time can become severely limited. So how can we all keep in touch and spend time with friends when our schedules are jam-packed?
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| /April 25, 2008/ Persevering Through Perseveration |
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Have you ever heard a conversation that sounds something like this?
Child: “I have a birthday party today.”
Adult: “Yes, it’s at 1:00.”
Child: “I’m so excited!”
Adult: “I know. Birthday parties are exciting.”
Child: “What time is it now?”
Adult: “9:00.”
Child: “I have a party today. I’m excited about my party. I’m going to a birthday party. I don’t want to miss it. What time is it now?”
Adult: “9:05.”
Child: “I’m going to have cake and there will be presents! What time is it?”
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| /February 18, 2008/ SPECIAL NEEDS PARENTING: WHEN CHILDREN HAVE TROUBLE MAKING FRIENDS |
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A disability, such as cognitive challenges, physical impairments, or medical problems, can sometimes hinder the friendshipmaking process for children. Children with a disability often face a number of social issues. The reasons for such difficulties vary with each individual as do strategies for helping them interact with peers.
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| /February 18, 2008/ Social Skills Goals |
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Ideally, we want to see our kid’s social competence improve each year. For some kids, an increase in social finesse will come with maturity but for others, a more deliberate plan may be needed. To develop a comprehensive social plan, both school and home environments should be considered. By setting some goals for your child, it can help to prioritize which areas of socialization to work on so neither of you become overwhelmed. Social competence encompasses several areas for any given child and trying to improve all areas at once may only lead to frustration.
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| /January 15, 2008/ Public Displays of Attention |
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Have you ever been out in public with your child when he or she has displayed less-than-perfect social behavior? Do you have a child with a disability that presents with physical differences that may result in curious stares? How about a medical issue that creates a stir? The Social Smart Kids January article provides some tips on how to deal with unwanted "Public Displays of Attention" from strangers.
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| /December 10, 2007/ Siblings: Noogies & Wedgies or Friends Forever? |
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“Mom, you, me, and Dad were running and running and we were really scared. We were being chased by monsters and Megan couldn't keep up!" This was the dream my son had when he was only 3 years old. It speaks volumes as to how siblings can understand special needs at a very young age.
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| /November 21, 2007/ Your Child with Special Needs: Sharing your private issue with others |
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Thanks to Parent and Kids Magazine for bringing attention to this important issue.
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| /November 6, 2007/ Tip: Holiday Interactions |
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With the holidays approaching, your child may have an opportunity to have social interactions with cousins or other family members. This is a great chance to work on social skills.
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| /October 11, 2007/ Back-to-School Friendships: Is Your Child Making Friends This Year? |
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Going back-to-school can be a time of high anxiety for kids (and parents!) If your child experiences social challenges, it's an even greater worry as to how they will get along with peers in the new school year. Here are some tips to help you assess your child’s social life to see if he/she needs any assistance fitting in.
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| /August 24, 2007/ Back-To-School: Ideas for Difficult-To-Transition Kids and Children with Special Needs |
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Most children make the transition back to school with a minimum of worry and are ready and excited to begin a new school year. Children with special needs; learning, developmental or behavioral issues often greet the beginning of school with high anxiety. This anxiety can often exhibit itself in increased behaviors that can leave parents frustrated and bewildered. Read on for more information from Donna Shea, Director of the Peter Pan Center and Nadine Briggs, Founder of Social Smart Kids.
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| /August 7, 2007/ How to Develop a Strong Community in the Classroom |
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The Social Smart Kids Advisory Board interviewed third/fourth grade teacher, Tracy Maher, regarding socialization in the classroom. Tracy was selected as an interviewee because of her exceptional skill in creating a strong social community environment in her class. She has taught her students to support each other in and out of the classroom while developing an environment where all students are accepted regardless of academic ability.
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| /July 13, 2007/ Article: Slang That Stings as seen in Parents and Kids Magazine |
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Social Smart Kids would like to thank Parents and Kids Magazine for writing this important article about dealing with the R-word. Those of you who have family members with developmental delays have most likely been exposed to the slang use of the word "retard". Click on the link below for some tips on how to handle this awkward social situation.
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| /March 9, 2007/ Introducing Ask an Expert - Donna Shea, behaviorist |
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Social Smart Kids is pleased to introduce Donna Shea as our Ask an Expert online contact for social skills questions. Donna, director and founder of The Peter Pan Center located in Harvard, Massachusetts, brings years of experience and expertise in teaching children social skills. Ask Donna a question today!
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