personal space camp
Today we read a book called Personal Space Camp by Julia Cook about a boy named Louis who really struggles with his personal space. Louis doesn't understand the difference between Outer Space and Personal Space, so it was kind of funny to watch him as he struggled to learn to be more respectful and appropriate around and towards others. We did some fun activities to demonstrate the ideas in this book. A few students got to "drive" around in a personal space ship (hula hoop) but learned it was a lot harder when there were 5 pilots squished in the spaceship!! We also used hula hoops to learn that our personal space is different sizes depending on who we are with and what we are doing. It is small when we are talking with a family member, but really big if we are around strangers or in gym class! We used bubbles to learn that when someone pushes into our personal space, we feel really uncomfortable (or "pop"). Mrs. Wilson used outlines of kindergarten students to show us how using body basics in shared spaces is best for everyone around us.
You can follow up at home by letting your child know when you need space. A lot of adults will walk away or naturally seek space when they need it, but add some commentary to this process! Let your child know with appropriate language that you love them, but they are too close for comfort. I know at my house, I am very vocal about telling my children that I need more space than usual when I don't feel well. If really young children hit or push siblings away and you can see they need space, give them those words. Say, "Your body is telling me you need more space. We will back up to help you feel more comfortable."
You can follow up at home by letting your child know when you need space. A lot of adults will walk away or naturally seek space when they need it, but add some commentary to this process! Let your child know with appropriate language that you love them, but they are too close for comfort. I know at my house, I am very vocal about telling my children that I need more space than usual when I don't feel well. If really young children hit or push siblings away and you can see they need space, give them those words. Say, "Your body is telling me you need more space. We will back up to help you feel more comfortable."