The next social skill in this Social Skills Series is Respecting Personal Space. If you need a reminder on what social skills are and why they’re important, read Social Skills Series: Introduction.

Let’s admit it… most kids are not great with respecting others’ personal space. My daughter sometimes tries to kiss her friends on the lips when saying “goodbye”! I have also had kids that I hardly know, come up to me at the park and sit on my lap or hold my hand. And have you seen how closely some kids stand in line next to other kids? I’ve seen kids with noses right up against the backs of the person in front of them.

Most kiddos don’t seem to mind having other kids up right next to them, but eventually they will need to learn how to give appropriate body space. Can you imagine if I stood an inch behind the person in front of me at the grocery store checkout line? Or if an adult walks up to a stranger adult at the park and tried to hold their hand? Honestly, thinking about it makes me laugh and I think someone out there should do some sort of social experiment… or likely someone already has (if you know about one, link it in the comments for me for entertainment purposes!).

So why is it important to respect others’ personal space? For one… germs. It’s easier to spread germs to others when you’re standing or sitting right up next to them. The kids I know don’t really care about germs, so another rationale is that it will be easier to make and keep friends if you can respect others’ space. Some kids really don’t like others being close to them, so will be “turned off” by someone who invades their space. Others will be more comfortable around you if you respect their personal space.

A great way to introduce social skills to kiddos is with a book. Julia Cook has an amazing book called Personal Space Camp (click here for more information) that introducing this social skill. It’s a super fun, entertaining book for kids.

You can decide how much “space” your child should give others. I’ve heard some parents explain that kids should pretend they have a hula hoop around them, and make sure they stay far enough away that others’ aren’t inside that hula hoop space. I usually just say to keep an arms length away from others. For a fun way to illustrate this, you can have your kiddo put their arms out, then spin around slowly in a circle.

To practice personal space, you can either do some role-play, or use inanimate objects to practice. You can pick different social situations (waiting in line at the slide, walking through hallways, sitting in a circle, dance party, etc.) and practice giving appropriate personal space for those situations – either with yourself or with stuffed animals/dolls/action figures. You can practice asking for “more body space please” when the person (or stuffed animals) you are practicing with stands too closely to you.

Some TIPS for practicing this social skill:

• Practice when your child is calm/in a good mood. Practice will probably not go well if your child is grumpy or just got in trouble for something.
• Make sure to praise you child!
• Try to make it fun!
• If your child becomes uncooperative at any point, just end the practice and revisit it later.

Good luck! Drop a comment with any other fun ideas for practicing this important social skill!

Disclaimer: I am a licensed mental health therapist, but I am not your therapist. The information in this article is for general informational purposes only. This article does not create a therapist-client relationship. If you need specific recommendations based on your individual circumstances, please consult with a mental health practitioner near you.