by Sara Mcgrath

Created on: August 07, 2008

According to a recent survey, most parents rate good social skills above academic skills for raising happy, well-adjusted, and successful kids. However, despite the importance placed on good manners and basic socialization skills, parents report that they are having difficulty teaching their children these skills. (The survey was conducted by Mom Central, Inc. on behalf of Hasbro, Inc.)

Preschool Social Milestones

* Show independence
* Express emotions
* Follow rules and routines
* Play well with other children
* Recognize others' feelings
* Demonstrate a sense of humor
* Help with chores
* Focus for 10 to 15 minutes

According to Stacy DeBroff, CEO of Mom Central, "These skills, which include listening, being polite and knowing how to share, shape how a child will be perceived by their peers, teachers, adults, and ultimately employers."

According to a list of learning milestones published on the popular website BabyCenter.com, one of the main goals of preschool is to teach learning skills. However, among the factors implicated in children's socialization difficulties were increasingly academic curricula in preschools and kindergartens.

Other factors included technology, over-scheduling, and emphasis on personal achievement. Busy parents are increasingly expected to teach social skills before their children enter preschool, and they either don't know how to do it or they don't have the time.

In related research, Hasbro found that busy parents often correct behavior in a negative and reactive way rather than in a proactive and positive way. Parents acknowledged that turning social skills into a fun and educational activity would help teach good social skills and improve parent-child relationships.

In response, Hasbro has launched a collection of games from Playskool called NOODLEBORO (TM) Games, which are designed to reinforce children's social skills in a fun and positive way and provide parents and caregivers with useful teaching tools.

Children learn best through play and positive reinforcement and they learn by example. This is equally true of academic and social learning. Busy teachers and busy parents may not be able to provide adequate attention to modeling basic manners and social skills and busy children may not have adequate time to process the behaviors they see around them and the social experiences they have. Given the importance parents place on good social skills, survey results suggest that it's time to slow down and focus on what matters most.

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