Supporting Your Child in Making New Friends at Summer Camp

The summer can be such an exciting time for new adventures, and new friendships. For some kids the idea of going to summer camp and not knowing anyone there can feel daunting. They may have mixed feelings of excitement to go and feeling nervous worried about meeting new kids and trying to make a new friend. For many of us, our social skills got a bit rusty during the pandemic years as we had less opportunities for social engagement. We are also have capacity to bounce back, and with the right supports people can grow in their ability and continue to build upon their social skill know how. Find below some ways to support your child:

1. Identify the Wins and the Challenges. Each child is different in their needs, capabilities, and struggles. It is important to identify what your child is already doing well socially, for example they may be good at sharing, taking turns, asking about other kids interests, and listening. They may have also made a new friend this past school year. Highlighting and building upon what they are already doing well, helps them build confidence for future success. It is also important to give words for the challenges they have, for example they may be fine with small talk or joining in, but difficulty introducing themselves or initiating a conversation.
2. Role-Play the New Skill. Once you have identified the challenge, create a role play opportunity with your child to practice the new skill each day for 10 minutes until your child is feeling more confident. For example if your child has difficulty with starting a conversation, you and your child can take turns being the person to initiate the conversation with another person. This can also be done with stuffed animals or figurines depending on the age of your child. 
3. Provide Opportunities to Build Skills. Decide with your child some opportunities to practice the skill. Best to start small and with the things that feel easiest for your child, with the goal to build up to the bigger occasion of starting a conversation with a potential new friend at summer camp. An example of starting small may be asking one question to a family friend they are comfortable with but do not talk to often, then to a neighbour they talk to rarely, and then to someone they have never spoken to like the cashier at the grocery store. We can all grow by pushing through our fears, however if your child feels really overwhelmed or overly anxious in trying any of theses steps please reach out, as we can all use an extra helping hand at times. I have helped many children build their confidence in making friends and overcome their anxiety in social situations.
4. Continue to Highlight Your Child’s Capability. Each time your child tries to build on their new skill they get one step closer to becoming more comfortable and confident in their friendship making capabilities. One way to highlight their growth overtime could be to create a scale from 0 to 10, (0 being not confident and 10 being really confident), that they decorate with different images or symbols to make it their own. Then have them rate how they felt when they first identified the challenge, and then rate once each week to see how it evolves.

If you need additional support reach out to me I am Nicole Levy and I would be happy to help. Book an initial consult directly though  https://oab.owlpractice.ca/mindfulhealingjourney/booking