• About Us
  • Contact
  • Subscribe Now
  • Download App
  • Benefit Hub for Subscribers Only
SWHELPER - Social Work Helper
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • News
  • Culture
  • Mental Health
  • Politics
  • Tech
  • Disability
  • Webinars
  • Buy Merch
Find/Post Jobs
  • Home
  • News
  • Culture
  • Mental Health
  • Politics
  • Tech
  • Disability
  • Webinars
  • Buy Merch
No Result
View All Result
SWHELPER - Social Work Helper
No Result
View All Result
Home Education

Want to Work With Children: 5 Skills and Qualities You Should Be Working On

Kinga HarskutibyKinga Harskuti
May 19, 2023
in Education, Social Work
0
ADVERTISEMENT
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on PinterestShare via EmailShare on Reddit

shutterstock_139406252 (1)
Most people love the idea of working with children but not everybody has the skills or the personality for it. Kids, contrary to what you might have been told or brought up to believe, are not simply “regular people in miniature form.” They are unique beings who are still developing into the people you’re used to dealing with in the adult world which means they haven’t yet learned most of the skills, coping mechanisms, and boundaries that you take for granted as being inherent.

Working with children is much different from working with adults. And furthermore, working with little kids is much different from working with older kids. If you’ve got your heart set on working with children (whether as an educator, an entertainer, or in human services), here are five skills you need to hone.

Patience

Patience is crucial when working with children because they have unique ways of processing information that differ from adults. It can be challenging to bridge the gap between your knowledge and their understanding, leading to potential frustration. Expect to repeat yourself frequently, provide explanations repeatedly, and handle various distractions that may divert their focus. Maintaining a deep well of patience is essential to prevent frustration from creeping in.

Note: Kid time is much different than grown-up time. If you have ever played “house” with a young child, you’ll know what we’re talking about.

The Ability to Hide Frustration or Annoyance

Kids can pick up on even the slightest shift in your demeanor. It is important that you learn how to hide tiredness, frustration, etc. You don’t have to be happy all the time and it is okay to let a child know that you are not happy with him when he or she misbehaves. Groaning when they insist on a twelfth read through of The Hungry Caterpillar, however, can be demoralizing for them. Learn how to hide your boredom, frustration, and exhaustion.

Hint: Movie night wasn’t invented out of thin air!

Keeping Calm in an Emergency

Kids freak out when adults freak out. This can make a stressful situation infinitely worse. It is important, then, to learn how to keep your cool when things go awry—even if your heart is pounding and things around you are chaotic. Working with children—especially in large groups—means maintaining a calm presence even when everything else is overwhelming. Remember—your kids will look to you for how to act and deal with everything.

Pro Tip: The best way to develop this sense of calm is to learn how to deal with difficult situations yourself. For example, going through first aid training and child and infant CPR classes will help keep you calm when emergencies happen because you’ll know what to do.

Communication

A lot of adults think in order to work with kids, they need to be able to “dumb down” the information they’re sharing. This is an unnecessarily burdensome misconception. There’s a difference between “dumbing down” information and using examples children can relate to when you need to illustrate an idea. Children learn primarily through examples and stories, so talking about situations they can relate to is the best way to teach them new skills and explain new concepts.

Enthusiasm

You have to actually like and enjoy spending time with kids if you ever want to work with them successfully. Kids know when an adult is uncomfortable and many get a kick out of exploiting that discomfort. You also have to have enthusiasm for the things you’re trying to teach the kids you’re working with. Kids aren’t going to want to do or learn anything that you talk about with a frown.

These are just five skills and qualities that you need to master if you want to successfully work with children. Most of the more technical skills, you’ll find, will fall under one of these umbrella traits.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

Derrick Coleman Shares Empowering Story on his Hearing Loss

Next Post

Peyton Manning Gives Back with his Peyback Foundation

Kinga Harskuti

Kinga Harskuti

Kinga Hárskuti is a freelance writer, and and occasional guest poster. Her main interests are Marketing, Social Media and Design. She is a hobby urbanist.

Related Posts

Treating Teen Addiction With Compassion and Empathy
Mental Health

UB Social Work Researcher Introduces a New Tool for Treating Alcohol and Drug Addiction

June 6, 2023
Do District-Based Elections For School Board Help Minority Candidates Get Elected?
News

NASW Opposes Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Exams

May 22, 2023
Journalist Turned Social Worker?
Opinion

Journalist Turned Social Worker?

May 23, 2023
Business

Technology and Entrepreneurship in Social Work

May 21, 2023
Morgan State University Professor Anthony Estreet to be next CEO of NASW
News

Morgan State University Professor Anthony Estreet to be next CEO of NASW

May 23, 2023
When Reporters of Sexual Harassment Are Silenced By Advocacy Institutions the Harm is Far Worst
Education

When Reporters of Sexual Harassment Are Silenced By Advocacy Institutions the Harm is Far Worst

January 3, 2023
Next Post
Peyton Manning Gives Back with his Peyback Foundation

Peyton Manning Gives Back with his Peyback Foundation

Burnout: Who’s Taking Care of the Care Takers?

Burnout: Who's Taking Care of the Care Takers?

Leave Comment
ADVERTISEMENT
GET THE LATEST NEWS!
Subscribe
We hate spam and never share your details.
×

Thank you!

Exploring Emotions: The Power of the Feelings Heart Exercise in Therapy

Exploring Emotions: The Power of the Feelings Heart Exercise in Therapy

May 19, 2023
What Can Be Done To Solve The Foster Care Crisis?

Ending the Therapeutic Relationship: Creative Termination Activities

May 19, 2023
The Biopsychosocial Perspective to Mental Health and Illness

The Biopsychosocial Perspective to Mental Health and Illness

May 19, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT

Connect With Us

Twitter
FlipboardInstagram
ADVERTISEMENT
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram TikTok
SWHELPER – Social Work Helper

  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Buy Merch
  • Terms of Service

© 2022 Social Work Helper, PBC

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
    • News
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Politics
    • Criminal Justice
    • Social Work
    • Education
    • LGBTQ
    • Technology
    • Disability
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Webinars
  • Career Center
  • Subscriber Benefit Hub
  • Subscribe
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart

© 2022 Social Work Helper, PBC

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Facebook
Sign In with Google
Sign In with Linked In
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Sign Up with Facebook
Sign Up with Google
Sign Up with Linked In
OR

Fill the forms below to register

*By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.