When Should You Worry About Your Child’s Social Skills? A Parent’s Guide

February 2, 2025

February 2025:  When Should You Worry About Your Child’s Social Skills? A Parent’s Guide

As parents, we all want our kids to have good friends, feel confident in social situations, and navigate the world with ease. But what happens when social interactions don’t come naturally? If your child struggles with making friends, reading social cues, or engaging in conversations, you may be wondering: Is this just a phase, or should I be worried?

Social skills are an essential part of life, and while every child develops them at their own pace, persistent struggles can be a sign that extra support is needed. Let’s dive into what social skills are, why they matter, when to seek help, and how professional support can make a difference.

What Exactly Are Social Skills?

Social skills are the abilities we use to interact and communicate with others effectively. These include:

  • Communication Skills – Knowing how to start and maintain conversations, use appropriate tone and body language, and listen actively.
  • Nonverbal Skills – Understanding and using facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, and personal space appropriately.
  • Emotional Awareness – Recognizing and managing emotions, as well as understanding the emotions of others (empathy). We recommend using an Emotion Wheel to help your kids learn more accurate emotion vocabulary. Using specific vocabulary to describe emotions can better help families communicate. Scroll down or click here to grab your own printable emotion wheel!
  • Social Problem-Solving – Handling conflicts, negotiating, and making decisions in social situations.

Some kids seem to pick up these skills naturally, while others need more guidance. And that’s okay! Social skills, like any other skills, can be learned and strengthened over time.

How Do Social Skills Develop?

Children begin learning social skills from the moment they are born—watching, listening, and mimicking the interactions around them. They refine these skills through:

  • Observing parents, siblings, teachers, and peers
  • Engaging in play and structured social activities
  • Receiving direct guidance and feedback from caregivers

Some kids are naturally more social, while others may need extra coaching and practice to navigate social situations successfully.

Why Are Social Skills So Important?

Strong social skills help kids:

  • Build and maintain friendships
  • Express themselves confidently
  • Handle conflicts and solve problems
  • Feel included and connected in group settings
  • Develop resilience and emotional intelligence

Social skills aren’t just about making friends—they impact academic success, emotional well-being, and even future career opportunities.

When Should You Be Concerned?

It’s completely normal for kids to experience some social awkwardness or shyness. However, if your child consistently struggles with any of the following, it may be time to dig a little deeper:

  • Difficulty making or keeping friends
  • Avoiding social interactions or group activities
  • Trouble understanding personal space or social boundaries
  • Not picking up on facial expressions, tone of voice, or other social cues
  • Challenges with back-and-forth conversation
  • Frequent misunderstandings or conflicts with peers
  • Difficulty working in groups

If these challenges persist despite your efforts to guide and support them, seeking professional help can provide clarity and strategies to improve their social skills.

When Social Struggles Are Linked to a Mental Health Condition

Sometimes, difficulties with social skills are linked to underlying conditions. Some common diagnoses associated with social skill challenges include:

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) – Difficulty understanding social norms, reading emotions, and engaging in typical peer interactions.
  • ADHD – Trouble with impulsivity, interrupting, or missing social cues.
  • Social Anxiety Disorder – Extreme fear of social interactions leading to avoidance or distress.
  • Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NVLD) – Struggles with interpreting body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice.
  • Social Pragmatic Language Disorder - Difficulty with understanding social language cues and how to use these in social social interactions.

If your child has been diagnosed with one of these conditions, targeted support and therapy can help them build confidence and navigate social interactions more effectively.

How Therapy Can Help

The good news? Social skills can be taught and improved! Therapy can provide:

  • Conversational practice for social interactions
  • Strategies for understanding social cues and body language
  • Tools to manage anxiety in social situations
  • Support in building meaningful friendships
  • Increase social perspective-taking skills

A therapist can assess your child’s unique needs and develop a personalized approach to help them grow socially and emotionally.

Final Thoughts: You’re Not Alone

If you’re worried about your child’s social skills, you’re not alone—and there’s no shame in seeking help. Some kids just need a little extra support to feel confident in social settings, and that’s what we’re here for.

At Be A Problem Solver Services, we specialize in helping children and teens develop the social skills they need to succeed. If you’re ready to explore how therapy can help, reach out to us today.

You don’t have to wait until things get harder—early support can make a world of difference.


Offices in Chapel Hill, NC and Fuquay Varina, NC



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