Success Among Peers: Social Skills in Adaptive Process

Júlio is a six-year-old boy who lives in the southern area of the city of São Paulo with his parents and younger sister. Compared with many children in his age group (five- to six-years-old), he has already lived in five different Brazilian states. This has enabled him to be adaptable and to socialise easily. In his family environment, Júlio spends the morning and evening with his mother and younger sister, and sees his father when he arrives home at dinnertime. There is a closeness in their relationships, and there is room for childhood learning, for conversation, and for play among the family members throughout the day. At school, Júlio has a group of special friends, but he also interacts with many other classmates during activities in the classroom and during breaktime. We observed that, due to his sociable nature, Júlio appears loved by those who surround him. He exhibits attentiveness during his formal education hours, enabled by his school's teaching methods. Júlio is invited to choose which subjects and at what moment in the day he prefers to study. He commits to a chosen task in an organised way, as well as focusing, asking questions, and interacting with classmates. Additionally, soccer is very important to him and his success, not only as a fun activity but also offering him a time to take responsibility as a player. This game permeates many of his interactions with others.

Keywords: Childhood Socialization, Childhood Thriving, Play, Resilience.