Most people have their own set of nonverbal gestures, and many of these gestures fall into fairly “average” terrain. If they didn't, you'd never be able to analyze and decode another person's unspoken messages. But there are some people — and many of them are kids — whose behaviors fall into a rather extreme realm. They're highly expressive souls and they use their bodies to emphasize their spoken message. Is this a good thing or a bad thing, and what can you do to help others understand and accept your child's conduct?

Free as a Bird

Parents of highly animated children often describe their offspring as “dramatic,” “theatrical,” or just plain crazy (but in a good way). Not only are these kids very verbal, but every word that comes out of their mouths is accompanied by wild hand gestures, flailing arms, twirling, jumping, rolling on the floor … whatever nonverbal cues are necessary to get the point across. If you recognize your own child in this description, you've also perhaps received reports from her teachers who believe she's disruptive and distracting to the other students in the classroom. What's a parent to do?

Purely expressive gestures, like flapping her arms as she describes the wingspan of the bald eagle, or jumping for joy when she receives a perfect grade on her spelling test, are not only harmless, they're healthy. Your child isn't hurting anyone, after all, and her enthusiasm may inspire her peers to look at life in a new way. That's an issue that deserves a one-on-one conference with the child's teacher, so that you can give her a better understanding of your child's sweet (if over-the-top) personality.