The wolf family

We had a parent-teacher conference recently with Skipper's teacher, during which we expressed some concern about Skipper's social skills. Skipper is an observer, and needs to take a lot of time watching events unfold before she feels comfortable participating in them. She doesn't, however, appear to have the tools she needs (and wants) to enter an activity that's already in progress, unless she's explicitly invited. She's more comfortable saying no to engagement than trying to say yes. We asked the teachers to help her identify and try out ways to engage when she wants to. 

Her teacher didn't quite grasp what we wanted, I think, and it's kind of a big ask anyway for a preschool teacher who has a roomful of bonkers 4-year-olds to manage, without extra time for fine-tuning one kid's skills at the request of her helicopter parents, but she certainly grasped that we're concerned about Skipper's social skills.*  So she sent us this movie to reassure us that Skipper doesn't spend ALL her time alone, watching other kids play. This is Skipper and two of the kids she plays with the most - she organized them into a wolf family. I particularly like the part where she intimidates another kid out of the way. 

*Also, I really appreciate that Skipper's teachers all recognize that she is a watcher, and they honor that as a  legitimate way to approach the world.