Okay, all you new moms and dads, we know you’ve got a ton on your plate. You do everything for those tiny humans! But you know what’s really hard? When you can’t.

It’s our job to get kids to do things independently. But, from the agony of sitting on your hands while they manoeuvre putting on their own coat, to the heartbreak of seeing them struggle to enter play with others, the hardest part of parenting is when you can’t do everything for them.

I am an early childhood educator who spent years behind the kindergarten curtain and I can tell you that the most popular question parents ask is, “Does he play with anyone?”

I am the mother of three girls, and I can tell you that, when the invitation didn’t come, or I watched my daughter on the sidelines, the desperate reality of, “I can’t fix this,” hits pretty hard.

As much as we might wish we could orchestrate situations, “Okay, you play with her. And have fun doing it,” developing social skills and creating authentic social experiences for your child is not something we can force.

But there are things we can do to help a child develop stronger communication skills and social skills to allow for more successful social interaction. I’ve listed a few here.

I wrote the book PERCY’S PERFECT FRIEND (@pajamapressbooks ) perfectly illustrated by @peggysillustration to support kids in developing these important social skills.

It’s available wherever you buy or borrow books. I hope you’ll check it out. DM me for some great follow-up activities that go along with this read-aloud recommended for preschool to primary-grade children.
#makingfriends #belongingandcontributing #socialemotionallearning #socialemotionaldevelopment #socialemotionalskills #kindergarten #kindergartenteacher #kindergartenclassroom #picturebook