When you're reaching out to a spirited young child who seems locked in a private world, you need extraordinary communication skills. We want to share the best practices we've learned for communicating social skills at school and at home. These proven techniques reach out and engage the child with warmth and caring. For more tips, please download our special report, "Eight Tips for Engaging the Spirited Child." Here's the most important tip to get you started:

Rules and manners go hand in hand with caring. While explaining rules to a child, state the rule and always add a "because." For example: "We never push each other because I don't want you to get hurt." "Share your toys with others because that is being friendly." Teach children to communicate with each other in a similar way. This works because you're answering the "Why?" question before they ask it with reasons that show love and kindness.