What happens when one member of your family invades the personal space of another? Use this activity to talk to your kids about their personal space and how it affects them when someone enters it. Then talk to them about ways that they can deal with their feelings without fighting.

Photograph by: Stephen Alvarez

Find the full activity and other family activities and resources here. Get started below!

1. Talk about what happens when someone enters your territory.
Do you react differently depending on who comes into your territory? What if it’s a friend or a pet? What if it’s a stranger or someone you don’t like?

2. Think about how you would react.
Read the following situations together. Talk about how you would react to each one.

• You are waiting in line for a movie, and someone pushes you.
• You are not getting along well with your sister or brother, but you share a bedroom.
• You are at home, and someone you don’t know opens the door and walks in uninvited.
• You are playing with a friend, and he or she grabs one of your toys to play with.
• Your little brother is afraid of thunder and wants to sleep in your bed.
• You get to school late one day, and a classmate is sitting at your desk.

3. Talk about what you would do next.
You might feel angry when someone invades your personal space or territory. But it’s almost always better not to let a fight happen. What could you do instead of fighting? Below are some ideas. Can you add more?

• If you are angry, wait until you are calm enough to explain why you are angry.
• Talk about the problem calmly and listen to the other person’s ideas.
• Talk to an adult that you trust and who can help you resolve the problem.