Being relational is an extremely important life skill no matter what your personality is. You may be outgoing, reserved, shy but knowing how to relate when you need to is a great skill to acquire. Children model the adults around them and notice how we relate to our families or our peers.
(1) Model kind voices at home and wherever you are. People relax and open up to conversation. It can happen with your family, at places of worship or shopping with friends. I teach young children how to have kind voices and to practice using them. We start with very simple compliments. I use my character, CJ, and have them tell CJ what they like about him. Then they share a kind voice in the same way with their buddy of the week and also with their teachers. Practicing this at a young age helps them make friends and prepares children for being empathetic.
(2) Model accountability by allowing yourself to be vulnerable in different situations by saying, “oh, my mistake.” “I am sorry.” This can happen when bumping into someone or dropping something in someone’s way. Being accountable is showing we are responsible for our actions and helps greatly in being relational. It also shows respect for boundaries.
(3) Model gratefulness for everyone appreciates being thanked if they have helped in anyway. Say thank you for small things like someone holding a door open for you. Gratefulness helps us also when we are facing big challenges by remembering all that is good at the same time they are happening.
All children and us adults too like having someone to play with and talk to…these 3 easy ways of relating will make a difference!