It's natural to want our kids to be socially successful. We want them to have friends and to feel a sense of belonging. We might feel pressure for them to act a certain way in public and find ourselves stepping in whenever we sense conflict. The problem is that when we swoop in and take over, this can actually stop kids from building their own social skills. We get to be there to scaffold these skills, but it requires us to give our kids space to reflect, think, and problem solve on their own.

Picture this scenario: Leo is approaching the table where Nina is already playing. Nina yells “No Leo! I’m using ALL the playdough and ALL the tools. These are MINE.”

Now...

00:00:00    Alyssa

You're listening to Voices of Your Village, and today I have such a special guest for you. I got to hang out with Dr. Stephen Nowicki. He is a professor of psychology at Emory University, and he has served as the director of clinical training, head of the psychological center, and head of the counseling center. Dr. Nowicki remains in active clinical practice as a diplomat in psychology, and let me tell you, he is a gem. His latest book, Raising a Socially Successful Child: Teaching Kids the Nonverbal Language They Need to Communicate, Connect, and Thrive, is so good, and we had such a rich discussion. Honestly, the only thing I wish I had was more...