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One of the basics of social skills involves personal space. Young children may fail to understand everyone has a personal space bubble that should be respected.  Explain to kids that personal space varies from person to person, and from culture to culture. People they are closer to, like relatives and siblings, may be more open to hugging and touching than strangers. Likewise, people from other cultures may prefer more or less personal space.  Tell kids how to read body language. Teach them that people tensing up, crossing their arms, and backing away is a sign their personal space is being invaded. You should also let kids know they're entitled to their own personal space. Do not pick them up without their permission, or hug them if they do not want to be hugged. Let them know they have authority over their own bodies. Teach children to do the same in return. Have them ask permission before hugging people, sitting in people's laps, and so on. Empathy is another important basic of social skills. A young child's perspective is limited. Children may struggle to understand how to put themselves in another person's shoes. Try to make an effort to help kids understand empathy.  Encourage kids to use their imagination. Have them picture themselves in a variety of different scenarios. Look for learning opportunities throughout the day. For example, if your child tells you he or she saw someone getting picked on in school, encourage your child to imagine how they would feel in a similar scenario. When watching TV or movies, ask your kids how they think a character is feeling and why. Encourage them to imagine themselves in a similar scenario and think about how they would feel. Basic conversation skills are vital to social development. Young children are often unsure of how to converse, and may be prone to interrupting conversations or ignoring what's being said. Talk to your kids about basic conversation skills.  Talk to kids about how to enter a conversation. Explain basic greetings. Instruct children to greet others by saying things like, "Hi!" and "How are you?" Explain non-verbal cues as well, like waving, smiling, nodding, and hand shaking. Explain to children they should take their turns speaking in conversation. Tell them it's important to wait until someone else finishes talking before interjecting. Also, teach kids about listening. Explain that, in a conversation, you should respond to what the other person is saying rather than simply talking about yourself. Teach your children how to be assertive when they talk to people as well. Explain to your child that being assertive is not the same as being aggressive. It means asking for what you want in a direct, honest way.  People who communicate in an assertive way do not use threats, insults, or excuses to get what they want. Children often do not know basic manners, so these are important to teach as well. Explain to kids it's very important to say please, thank you, excuse me, and other forms of common courtesy. Make a rule in your home about remembering pleases and thank-yous. This will show children how to convey positive manners. Children may often accidentally say insulting things when trying to express wants and needs. For example, your daughter may tell her older brother he's mean if he doesn't give her a turn during a game. What she's trying to communicate is that dislikes feeling left out. Teach children how to appropriately tell others what they want and need.  Catch children in the moment. You may hear your son tell your daughter that she's hogging a toy. Interject with something like, "Mason, what you really mean is that you want Charlotte to give you a turn. Tell her you want to feel included as well." Teach children to be upfront with other people about behaviors that make them uncomfortable. A preschool age child may kick and hit when he feels he's being made fun of. Instead, teach him to use his words. Tell him, when he's met with mockery, to say something like, "It hurts my feeling when you talk like that and I need you to stop." Have children stop and think when they're upset. If a child is not sure what he or she wants or needs, ask questions to help that child figure this out. Ask something like, "Why does that make you angry? Why do you react that way?"
Explain personal space. Teach empathy. Help kids understand how to have a conversation. Teach about basic manners. Talk about expressing wants and needs.