Socialization begins with the bond an infant forms with his parent or caretaker. As the experts at the National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families state, "Those who develop a secure attachment with a primary caregiver during the early years of life are more likely to later have positive relationships with peers." You can support healthy socialization by understanding the stages of development, providing opportunities for play and by helping your child develop relationships with peers.
Step 1
Connect with your infant. Establish a lot of eye contact and talk to your baby. In the first six months, she becomes sensitive to your facial expressions, so you can help develop that skill by smiling, laughing and making funny noises. Around 8 or 9 months she will begin to enjoy games such as peek-a-boo. Playing simple games together builds the concept of sharing experiences.
Step 2
Learn the early stages of development. Through age 2, he depends on adult guidance and prefers solitary play. At age 3, he enjoys playing beside another child but plays independently. Around age 4, he will begin to play cooperatively, is more social, enjoys other children and is ready to play simple games such as tag. During this time, he is also learning to share emotions and discovers that others have their own perceptions.
Step 3
Play with your child to build connections and teach social skills. Play pretend games to foster imagination, enjoy board games to teach turn-taking, toss balls together outside or play follow-the-leader.
Step 4
Plan structured play dates. At first, limit it to one other child. Keep it short, serve snacks and end it as soon as one child gets restless so that it is a successful experience. As the two children learn to play together, introduce an activity they can enjoy without your supervision, such as Play Doh. Leave the room for a short time but keep listening and be prepared to step in to help resolve conflicts. Play dates can grow to include several friends, but follow the same process of beginning with short, structure time together and gradually leaving them alone.
Step 5
Observe your child's activities and determine how much support she needs. Don't immediately jump in to help when she's attempting something on her own. The key is to provide just enough support to enable success while allowing her to discover the new skills and strengths she needs to become independent.
Step 6
Establish social rules. Teach basic manners and social rules: Take turns and respect others. Also, enforce the rule of no pushing, shoving, hitting, bullying or using unacceptable language. Deal with inappropriate behavior immediately.
Step 7
Teach your child how to manage disagreements. Around the age of 2, self-control and understanding another person's feelings have just begun to develop. He needs you to teach him how to label and appropriately express his feelings. As he grows older, teach him to understand the other person's perspective. Help him learn to compromise and find alternative solutions.
Step 8
Watch for difficulties or lags in development. Children develop at different rates, so be flexible, but sometime around age 4, your child should begin to connect with peers. If you don't see this happening, or if you have any concerns about your child's social development, talk with your pediatrician.
