I wonder – what was your earliest experience of social awkwardness?

One of mine was at preschool, aged three. Every day I would play with a girl called Ruth, and I was very happy playing with my one friend.

Until that dreaded day when everything changed!

A new girl started at preschool. Yvette was very tall, with long dark wavy hair. She was so tall that she towered over me.

And as I was happily playing, she came up to me and did something which I found traumatic!

So traumatic that I went home in floods of tears, vowing never to go there again!

When Mum calmed me down enough to talk about what had happened, I told her all about it. This enormous, tall, scary girl had come right up to me and held my hand! And even as I tried to push her away, she tried to keep on holding hands.

I was scandalised!

However, Mum didn’t seem to appreciate my level of trauma! In fact, she seemed to be smiling – maybe even laughing. I was even more scandalised!

Until Mum helped me to see what had happened from Yvette’s point of view. “She just wants to make friends,” said Mum.

So eventually, I was persuaded, not just to return to preschool, but also to play with Yvette as well as with Ruth. I discovered that the three of us could play together happily after all.

I wonder if you have early memories of traumatic moments in the playground?

I wonder if you were lucky enough to have a wise adult, who could help you to see things from a more helpful perspective?

As you hesitate to go out when invited, or as you stand silently listening to others do all the talking, I wonder what that wise adult might say to you today?