Parent Generated Ideas for Social Development

 

Positive Social Opportunities
Play dates, collaborative art project, think positive, preschool play groups, board games, sharing, family time, dinner with friends, parks, organized social activities, help a child to gain entry into a social situation by making introductions or participating with the child, Roseville Lutheran Church $15T-F, moms club, story time at the library, Wishing Tree, Community Grounds, Wee Music, Mall of America Toddler Tues, language skills-sentence starters guidance of vocalizing their actions and thoughts, library story times.

Conflict Resolution
Take turns, meditation, special toy box, walk through problem-solving, trading toys, ask one kid to find a toy that the other kid will want to make a “fair” trade, how do they calm down best? hugs? space? name the emotion, validate it, good communication, lower your expectations,  plan ahead, model the behavior, show peaceful ways of  negotiation or compromise, explain what you're doing and how, teaching "I need space"-respectively, wondering when to intervene versus personally solving their on conflicts, let kids figure it out, talking about how you would feel if it happens to, fighting fair-no hitting., board games, songs, plans, project/team project.

Positive Discipline
Say sorry, how can I help make it better, hugs, catching them doing good, explanation of cause-and-effect, clear expectation of limits and consequences, negotiation, and asking for ideas and feedback, encourage problem solving, as a parent, calm yourself down first before you discipline, hand off discipline to your spouse/partner, no shaming, correct in private, redirection, understanding why they are acting that way, acknowledging good behavior, remove them from the situation, consistency and routine, choices, explaining reasons, what motivates, different styles/triggers, knowing developmental age, expectations, positive attention.


Positive Home Environment and Practices
Give each other “me time’, “reset” the day, enforce the positive things, apologize, use music a lot  to shift the mood,  parents need power naps, have house rules,  body awareness, chemicals poison put away, have a good relationship with your spouse, have a family fun night, assign regular chores, be sensitive around  times of stress and crisis like starting school, divorce, financial problems, illness or death in the family, practice what you preach, be a good role model.