The Most Important Social Skills Kids of Ages 5-8 Should Master

July 23, 2021 / Parent Resources

We’ve listed 6 social skills your child is expected to gain between ages 5-8.

Self-Identification

When children are younger, they might not be quite sure of who they are. Between the ages of 5-8, however, they start noticing how they look, how they talk, or how they perform in school.

Turning to Peers

You might find your child to be spending more time with their friends than with you. It might be disheartening, but it’s a sign that your child is growing more independent.

Communicating Without Help

Kids of ages 5-8 should be able to articulate their thoughts and communicate what they need on their own. They might turn to you for approval or validation sometimes, but that’s okay.

Feeling Multiple Emotions

As kids grow older, they begin to experience a wide range of emotions. While earlier they used to experience merely being happy, sad, or angry, they will now find themselves feeling more complex emotions like envy and pity too.

Developing Greater Empathy

Between the ages of 5-8, your child will feel more sensitive to other people’s needs. They will get better at reading emotions and develop a greater sense of compassion towards their peers.

Pursuing Justice

Getting older comes with learning to protect, defend, and care for others. As they grow older, your children will begin to view things with fairness. Even the kids activity games they play shall be based on rules.