Raising a Socially Successful Child: Teaching Kids the Nonverbal Language They Need to Communicate, Connect, and Thrive

Drawing on decades of research, psychologist Stephen Nowicki shows parents and educators how to equip children with the nonverbal skills they need to succeed socially in childhood, and throughout their adult lives. We all want our kids learn the social skills they need to thrive. Yet many of today's kids are struggling to connect, often with no apparent reason why. In most cases, the explanation is simple: a child hasn't fully mastered the nonverbal language of everyday social interaction. To succeed socially, kids must know how to take turns, make appropriate eye contact in a conversation. They need to know how close they can stand next to someone without making them uncomfortable, when it's okay to link arms with a classmate (or not), and how to tell whether a friend is feeling happy sad based on facial expressions, posture, and tone. Yet children aren't being taught nonverbal skills in the same formalized way they are taught reading and writing. Instead, they are expected to simpl