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

We all want our to 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 simply absorb these skills at school, home, and on the playground. But between the steep rise in screen time and the social leaning lost to Covid quarantines and school closures, many kids haven’t had sufficient opportunity to learn all the rules of nonverbal behavior.

Fortunately, parents and teachers can help kids shore up these essential skills. In Raising a Socially Successful Child, Dr. Stephen Nowicki reveals how to identify the nonverbal areas where a child might be struggling, and equips readers with a set of simple exercises for helping any child learn how to:

 Follow the rhythm of conversationsRespect the boundaries of personal spaceLearn to express and read emotions in facial expressions and body languageUnderstand the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touchSense a person’s mood based on their tone of voiceAnd more 

Drawing on decades of research, as well as dozens of stories from across the country, Raising a Socially Successful Child is the practical guide to helping children master the nonverbal skills they need to succeed in life.

About the Author

Dr. Stephen Nowicki is the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Psychology Emeritus at Emory University, where he has served as Director of Clinical Training, Head of the Psychological Center, and Head of the Counseling Center. Dr. Nowicki maintains an active clinical practice as a Diplomate in Psychology.