F Is For Friendship
Kindergarten is a wonderful place for kids to make their first true friends, or it can be a place to get your feelings hurt really badly. I work really hard at trying to help my students learn the social skills they need to be good friends. But learning those skills and using them can often be two completely different things.
Here’s how you can help your child with their social skills:
Encourage your child to play with lots of kids instead of just he kids they already know or family friends.
Make sure sharing is something you talk about with your child often.
Try as often as possible to talk to your child or read them stories about different cultures and how we can be accepting. I currently work in a school that has 22 different nationalities of students within its walls.
Ask your child about how school was each day and who they played with. Discuss problems and successes with them.
Here’s how your teacher can help your child:
If your child is coming home complaining that they have no one to play with or have no friends, please let their teacher know. We will work on friendships in the classroom.
If someone is bullying your child in anyway please tell their teacher immediately. Bullying is not tolerated in any form. Often small children will not tell us what is going on, but will come home and tell you.
Remind your child that no one has a right to treat them badly with their words or physically. They need to let an adult they trust help them.
Make sure your child understands who an adult at school is they can trust to help them if a problem arises at school.
Talk to your teacher often about how your child is doing socially at school. Parents tend to ask about the academic progresses of their child, but forget the social aspect.
Remember, kindergarten is a huge social year at school. If you feel there is a problem, please make sure your child’s teacher knows immediately. And don’t forget to check back in as often as you feel is needed. We want your child to love coming to school.
Tags: ABC's Of Kindergarten