4 Steps to Teaching Social Awareness to Our Homeschoolers

Manners seem to be fading. Often, people don’t use social courtesy or effective communication. People get aggressive online with strangers. How do we raise our homeschoolers differently? How do we encourage them to become the change in the world that we need?

• Teach manners. 
• Teach confidence. 
• Teach communication. 
• Teach social awareness. 

Quartet of Communication

First off, teach manners. Instruct your children how to shake a person’s hand, make proper eye contact, and say phrases such as “Please” and “Thank you.” These manners display confidence and respect in social situations. It shows that your homeschooler’s attention is on the other person. This is a critical part of communication–focusing on the other person and using manners to highlight their importance. 

Also, teach your homeschooler how to become confident. Teach them how to stand tall and use confident mannerisms. Explain to your homeschooler that they should avoid picking their fingernails, fiddling with their hair, etc. They should stand with their hands locked or at their sides. In addition, if your homeschooler struggles with confidence, come up with supportive statements, such as “I am brave. I am a good conversationalist. I can handle this situation.” These statements will help your homeschooler grow in confidence and be grounded in themselves.  

Next, as already outlined, teach communication skills to your homeschooler. Encourage them to focus on the other person in a conversation. Explain that asking follow-up questions makes another person feel valued. Engaging with the other person, using eye contact, smiling, and an open posture creates a connection. If appropriate, joking and laughing can also create a positive experience. 

Along that same idea, teach social awareness to your homeschooler. Teach them how not to interrupt conversations or have random outbursts. Teach them when to joke and laugh and when to remain composed. For instance, laughing with a friend is different than joking around at a job interview. Social situations often demand different emotions and responses. 

Conclusion

Teaching your homeschooler to communicate well and read the room can set them up for success. In a world that seems to have lost the art of communication, homeschoolers reclaim this skill. We can be the change that’s needed in our world!

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- NxtEra

Written by Bethany (@thebookwormgirl_bethany)