What are the Best Social Skills for Children?

Young children who are still developing language skills can experience (and cause) a great deal of frustration in a household--just think of the infamous "Terrible Twos!" Happily, these frustrations can be eased with a little effective parenting on your part, using these parenting tips to enhance your youngsters' communication skills (while keeping them entertained at the same time). Everybody will be happier--now that's good parenting. Here are some ideas for you to explore with your children:

Parenting tip #1: Sign Language. Children understand--and can use--language at a very early age, even before the first birthday. Frustration for very small children arises from the fact that they aren't yet developmentally able to speak--hence the tantrums and behaviors that characterize the "terrible twos." Often a child is simply immensely frustrated at the inability to be understood. Step in with some effective parenting and alleviate the frustration by teaching your child a vocabulary that can be used early on: Sign Language. Babies as young as 9 months can begin to learn and employ hand-signs, and when provided with a vocabulary of signs, will show you just how able they are able to use language. You can teach them signs for things they might request, use signs to convey parental commands, and even score some "good parenting points" by teaching them early to sign "please" and "thank you." A great resource for kid-signing (and an entertainment your kids will love, without you feeling guilty about TV-time when you need half an hour of peace) is the "Signing Time" video series by Rachel Coleman, who combines music and kid-friendly entertainment to teach vocabulary.

Parenting tip #2: Alphabet Games. Without question, reading-skills are the best indicator of future academic success and (more importantly, from the standpoint of good parenting) of the ease with which your child will eventually be able to integrate into school and the world at large. Letters are everywhere, and you can heighten your child's alphabet-awareness while providing entertainment for your kids. You can set challenges for your children and keep them occupied while you get through the tasks of your day. If your toddler is underfoot while you cook dinner, identify a letter among the alphabet-magnets on your fridge, then ask the child to find "more B's," or arrange the letters, or identify the letters they know. You may be able to finish the task at hand while directing a minimal stream of attention or encouragement to the child; sometimes effective parenting means redirecting kids' attention so you can accomplish the things you need to do. You can play similar games at the supermarket; declare a "letter of the day" and let the child sing out all the B's she sees while you focus on your shopping list.

Parenting tip #3: Read with your child. This single item may be the greatest hallmark of good parenting. It has the added advantage of being an activity which requires a minimum of exertion for the exhausted parent. When everything else is overwhelming, you can still scoop up your children and a stack of picture books and snuggle into the couch to rest your tired feet (guilt-free), knowing that this resting-time for you falls into the category of effective parenting.

Effective parenting is a strenuous affair, no question about it--but these parenting tips might help ease the strain, and add the assurance that you're engaging in good parenting.

Kevin Andersen is the owner of http://www.PersonalizedStoryTimeBook.com and specializing in children's personalized books.