One of the catch phrases when people think about children is whether or not they are “socialized.” For public schools, school dances are one way to teach our children to socialize. Being confident in a group is a skill most parents want their children to learn and school dances are a great way to hone these skills.
Parents hope that their children, and especially teenagers, get along with students in their class. Some skills are better suited for other venues. Let’s face it, during the day students are given few chances to actually interact with one another because order has to be maintained. To allow the students more freedom to socialize, schools often have dances for this purpose.
What can a student learn at a dance that they can’t during the regular day? Here are a few social skills that are important to know and that can be learned at a school dance:
* Talking with the opposite sex. This is a skill that will be used the rest of their lives, so it’s important to learn it at a young age. Keep in mind, however, that dances can create an uneasy atmosphere that may not encourage talking.
* Asking someone for a dance. It gives the person asking a chance to reach out to someone who might be shy or a little bit intimidated by the whole dance scene.
* Saying no without being rude. Sometimes you have to say no. That doesn’t mean you have to be rude when doing so. A dance atmosphere may help your children or teens learn to use tact when telling someone they would rather not dance with them. This can be an important skill that will serve them well in the future.
* Learning to deal with rejection. No one wants to be rejected, but school dances may be able to teach your teen how to deal with rejection if someone doesn’t want to dance with them. They need to learn to brush off rejection and keep going.
* Improving manners. School dances give students a chance to practise their manners. They can learn to respond kindly to other students and with respect to adult chaperones.
* Becoming aware of themselves. Dancing allows your child to learn to control their bodies, to discipline their bodies and mind, and to increase their self-confidence.
School dances can teach our children to socialize, but they can also teach them so much more. If you’re uncomfortable with allowing your child to attend a dance without you, why not offer to be a chaperone? Remember, however, that if you are a chaperone, your child probably doesn’t want you to hover over them at the dance.
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