As it turns out, one of the most neglectful things parents do to their children is when they fail to adequately socialize them. Without the opportunity to be socialized, children never have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with social cues. A lack of familiarity makes it challenging to then recognize said cues and react or respond appropriately. The social butterflies may struggle to comprehend this as an issue, until they remind themselves of all the people they know who have a knack for consistently shoving their feet into their respective mouths. Knowing my children are bound to have a few of my socially awkward tendencies, we have been determined to socialize our children.
The best of intentions do not make it acceptable to have a shortfall of results. My son, for example, has issues knowing when to ask for things. It must be the way he is wired. Despite the fact that he is fully aware he needs to ask to leave the table when he is finished with his meal, it took us quite some time before he would ask to be dismissed with any consistency. Throughout our process, we would sometimes prompt him to ask to be dismissed. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn't.
On the evening prior to Begindergarten, my five year old son took a late nap, and subsequently was consuming a late dinner. My wife was keeping him company, and as a way of prompting him, asked him, “Are you finished with your dinner?”
Bypassing small talk, my son squealed excitedly, “Yes! Now I’m not hungry anymore!”
Of course you’re not, only that isn't quite what your mother had hoped to hear. Did I mention it was still a work-in-progress at that point?
