Interpersonal communication is the interaction and exchange of information between two or more people. This can be verbal or non-verbal. It is the ability to interact with people effectively.
It is important for students to have interpersonal skills because it helps them connect with people and allows them to develop their personalities. These skills not only help students in their school/education but also help them to become a confident and well-adjusted individual in society.
Generally, students learn interpersonal skills at school through their interaction with teachers, classmates, and other staff members. It’s a basic life skill, which becomes a part of their behavior and helps them interact with others to build healthy relationships. It also enables them to express themselves well along with giving them a greater perspective to understand others. The application of interpersonal communication doesn’t just end here. Employers to consider interpersonal skills an important factor in selecting a candidate.
Hence, effective interpersonal skills increase the chances of employability and a successful career and life. However, there are some students who lack interpersonal skills due to various reasons, it’s quite uncomplicated to acquire the skill. There are various ways to help children learn interpersonal skills like:
1. Practice what you preach
Children learn most things by observing others around them. If you want your child to learn how to communicate effectively using interpersonal skills, try to set a good example for them. You can do this by being kind to others and by using the right language and gestures for communication of all kinds.
2. Listen and encourage your child to be an active listener
You may spend some quality time with your children where you listen to their experiences without being judgemental or rude. You may also read stories that teach moral values and various social skills. The story session may be followed by a series of effective value-based discussions.
3. Establish a non-threatening environment
In a non-threatening and friendly environment, students are more likely to develop a positive attitude. If they are allowed to express themselves fearlessly, they tend to be more patient and acceptable for the opinions of others.
4. Teamwork
Assigning tasks/activities that require group work, cooperation and coordination, to reach the desired goal can prove to be a great way of incorporating interpersonal skills among children.
5. Be patient and encourage patience
When dealing with problems, respond to situations wisely and encourage your children to learn the same.
6. Community Work
By understanding the needs of others, children can effectively learn how to interact with others in a better way.
7. Empathy over Sympathy
Choose to be empathetic rather than sympathetic while handling difficult situations. Teach children to be socially available for their friends and family as it helps them to enhance their personality as well as trust in their relationships.
8. Public Speaking
Motivate and support your children to participate in activities like group discussions, debates, speech, fancy dress, or recitation competitions in order to boost their confidence and connect with people. Read Also: How to Speak Confidently In Public- A Guide
9. Be open to their ideas
While taking decisions, for instance deciding a place to eat at or a destination for vacations, welcome their suggestions. Show interest in what they think with the motive of understanding how they think.
10. Decision making and problem-solving
Discussing moral dilemmas with your children will put their creative minds into action when they try to find solutions for the situations provided. An example of such a dilemma is mentioned further.
Cheating on a Test
John, who is in the fourth grade, has been doing poorly on his spelling tests. His parents have threatened to pull him out of the soccer team if he doesn’t improve. John knows that the girl who sits beside him always gets 100 percent on her tests, and he is considering peeking at her paper during the next test so that he can continue to play soccer.
Help your child view all perspectives, such as the school’s cheating policy, that this is unfair to the girl who studied, and how John might be hurting himself in the process of cheating.
So, by instilling a few simple activities/tasks in the day-to-day life of young children, interpersonal communication skills can be developed to a great extent.
Read Also:
How to Develop Creative Thinking in Students
How can we motivate Kids to Think?
