"My child seems to be going backwards."

A year ago, he was thriving and learning to make friends, but now he is back to being isolated again.

A year ago, he was hanging out with other boys his own age at least once every couple of weeks outside of school, and in school he was starting to make some friends. But not anymore.

Good news:

The first thing to keep in mind is that kids don’t lose their social skills. Skills just become dormant and unused, but they don't disappear.

Once her son starts to get the confidence to start to reuse his skills, things will get back on track quite quickly.

Confidence builds when kids experience success. So to get him using his social skills again, he needs to experience some success.

Take action:

Maybe mum needs to organize a get-together with them cousins or with a safe friend because he’s just not going to do that. Maybe it’s time to join a chess club or Minecraft group or something, because he’s obviously not going to create those social interactions himself.

He will not be happy about it:

Yes, he will probably try to manipulate his way out of these social events.

It’s just because it is uncomfortable for him in the short term for him because he’s lost some of his confidence.

As parents is our job to think long-term and is our job to push our kids that little bit further from their comfort zone then they really want to go.

He will be back on track quickly:

Mum is back in the frame of mind of knowing that things can improve and that they will improve. Mum is getting him involved in another social group in her town and she has enrolled him in one of the courses that we offer as well.

Persevere – things will get better for your child and for your family.

All of us in our families have seasons where things get hard and where we lose focus and where nothing seems to work.

You might have to try 5 different things before something finally works. Hang in there, things will always improve.

Look where your child is now compared with 3 years ago!

Choose optimism and action, rather than discouragement.

Michael Clark

0481614517

www.amazingskills.com.au