Our Teens Need Communication Skills

Beth Jones Author

Communication is a necessary skill to be successful in life, and yet our girls are being given less opportunity to use their voices than ever.

Is your teen learning communication skills in school? Or at home?

Over the past two weeks, I’ve had the tedious job of going into the many Electives classes our school offers and make corrections to the online curriculum. There was a glitch and I’m helping to make it right. Not what I want to do as a teacher, but the bright side is that I’m getting to know many of the different courses that are offered in my department.

I was overjoyed to stumble across these lessons in the syllabus for the Dental Assistant class. How amazing is it that Communication skills are included in the skills set these teens are learning? Yes, it’s an important skill to have in healthcare, but the lessons are really more generalized to communicating with a range of people in general.

My undergraduate degree was in Communication Studies  — a major I kind of fell into after I almost flunked out of my first year (PT school wasn’t going to happen), but also a major that I quickly fell in love with. Learning not only the what of how to communicate, but also the why behind behaviors and reactions. I took on some tough topics during my research over those three years, but it allowed me to be a better friend and professional in the long run because I had that extra something that allowed me to peek into a person’s behavior and better understand how I should handle the situation.

What if all of our teens had lessons in Communication?

Sure, I taught Public Speaking for a few years, but it didn’t get into the social science much.

Of course, having your teen dissect your reaction to a pair of socks that have been left in the middle of the room might not be what you’re looking for either. 😎

Our kids are having more SEL learning in school, but it peters out as we move beyond elementary, and I think making sure those lessons are integrated into their middle and high school classes is essential in teaching the whole child and preparing them not only for college (should they choose to go), but more importantly for life once they leave the bubble of home.

SEL Includes:

• Emotion identification & management (hello adolescence!)
• Empathy
• Examining prejudices & biases (theirs & others)
• Stress management
• Reasoned judgment
• Anticipating & evaluating the consequences of actions
• Curiosity & growth mindset

So many more as well, all that develop not only communication skills, but also help develop their authentic voice to be heard and fully seen.

In the coaching that I do, Emotional Intelligence, Social Connection, & Curiosity are three of the Pillars of Play we explore. These tie directly into communication skills and teens' ability to build self-efficacy and self-confidence.

In addition, it encourages our teens to live their lives founded in wholehearted wellness and most importantly, in play. Once they get to this place, they can start looking to get off the struggle bus and confidently set off on their path to becoming that vision they have for their lives, armed with tools to make it happen instead of feeling shut down by the obstacles others’ throw in their path.

Our Active Confident Girls courses and membership give your daughter the tools to learn how to step up and share her voice, and a safe space for her to practice doing to. We'd love to have you both in our community. 

What opportunities or tools do you use with your daughter to help her build SEL and Communication skills? Share below, or head over to our Raising Active Confident Girls Facebook community to share your ideas.

Categories: social connection

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