THE ADVENTURES OF JJ PICKLETOES

I have been to a few parties in my day. 

Last Autumn I was at a Friendsgiving party, this is a Thanksgiving party for your friends. 

I met some new and interesting people there. 

Recently I have been to three birthday parties. 

There was a small birthday party for my Dad, he turned 25. 

I think he grew up with the dinosaurs?  

There was another small birthday party for my Mom.  

She is almost as old as my Dad. She didn’t see the dinosaurs, but I think that she saw the end of the Ice Age or close to it. 

I was at a big birthday party for my Great Grandma, she is now 80.  

There was a lot of people there.  

I just hung out with the cousins my age.  

I did mingle with the older adults as well,  

it is important to mingle with all the people you can. 

A quick hello, “What have you been up to?”  

I have never asked anyone, “How are you?” 

They will just probably lie to me anyway, there are better ways to start a conversation. 

These parties were all fun. 

I will be going to another big birthday party on Saturday.  

We will be celebrating my other Great Grandma’s 90^th birthday. 

There will be more cousins there, 

some of these relatives I haven’t even met yet. 

Do you have relatives that you haven’t met yet? 

There will be cake and coffee and tea and more mingling. 

I am quite comfortable with mingling now, 

 but I had to practice.  

It isn’t something that you are born with.  

It is like any other life skill, you have to work at it. 

I have been working at it. 

I have been watching how people interact differently. 

You know that I am quite observant, I know this will serve me well later in life. 

These are some of the things that I do to help me with my people skills. 

I listen more than I talk,  

not everyone does, but I know people appreciate that about me. 

I have found that I can learn so much more about someone when I listen to people.  

The trick I use is, I look at the person talking to me right in the eyes and I give them my attention. 

That way they know that I am really listening. 

I usually give the person I am speaking with a little touch maybe I hold on to their arm. 

You want to make the other people you meet feel comfortable around you. 

But sometimes, I just put on a hat.

About handshakes, 

I think we have talked about this before. 

Some people say you want a strong handshake but the real secret to a handshake is matching the other person’s grip. 

Mirroring. 

I know that I have more people skills to work on, but at least I am practicing. 

These are the skills that will really help me in the future. 

Tell me about the parties that you have been going to? 

Did you use your people skills to make those around you feel more comfortable? 

Let me know in the comments. 

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