Pull up a chair—tonight’s story serves more than dinner. It’s a gentle, kid-friendly playbook for reading emotions at the table: how to notice faces, listen before speaking, and ask for space (or a seat) the kind way. We begin at a big family meal—cousins, chatter, energy—then zoom in on the micro-moments kids often miss: waiting until everyone is seated, listening to finish, asking “Can I sit next to you?”, and checking in with a quiet cousin who might be sad. You’ll find a short, advanced-reader narrative with clear, explicit coaching (page 1–2), a tidy list of Social Rules and “what to say” prompts (page 3), a mini quiz of Social Understanding Questions to check comprehension (page 4), and a Social Cues Guide to practice decoding feelings from body language and voice (page 5). Read it aloud once before dinner, again as a quick cue during the meal, and one more time afterward—then try the practice questions to turn the table into a little lab for empathy.
