You can't make others like your child, but you can help your child be the kind of friends others want. The Left Out Child: The Importance of Friendship helps parents help their kids understand the language of likeability and how to master their social skills. Author Judy Helm Wright addresses many problems and offers solutions, including: how parents can help their child, how and when to intervene and when to step back, gender and age differences, how to help your child become more confident and overcome shyness, and how to help children with autism read, understand, and use social body language to foster friendships. The Left Out Child: The Importance of Friendship answers these and other questions: What can parents do to guide the social development of their young children? Why is it important to be included? Is it harder to make friends now than it used to be? How important is it to help your child be more "likeable" What do I do if the teacher or coach doesn't like my child? How do I comfort my child when they are picked last or not at all for games and activities? How do I help my child overcome shyness and build confidence? Is there a gender difference in friendships? What about bullies, should parents intervene? Ages and stages of friendship Social skills are simple, but not easy Ten ways to help your child make friends 15 ways to help kids like themselves The Left Out Child is part of a multi-volume series called "77 Ways to Parent," which are all available on Amazon with Judy's other books on the subjects of Welcome Abundance, Circle of Life, Self-Growth, and Book Writing. To learn more about Judy, her books, and Artichoke Press, please visit www.artichokepress.com and www.judyhwright.com. Judy is also on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. Judy Wright is a life educator, family coach, and keynote speaker who has written more than 20 books, hundreds of articles and speaks internationally on family, parenting and relationship issues, including communication, encouragement, and end of life. She also focuses on personal issues like anxiety, depression, confidence and self-esteem and works with many small and large organizations-from Head Start to child care resource centers. Judy has owned and managed numerous small businesses, and her entrepreneurial experiences as a mother of six and a stay-at-home-mom is what prompted the National Association of Home-Based Moms (NAHBM) invite her to join their expert advisory council. The symbol of the artichoke has great meaning for Judy in her teaching and writing. As she works with families, she sees that frequently only the outer edges are exposed, which can be prickly and sometimes bitter to the taste. But, as you expose the artichoke and people to warmth, caring, and time, gradually the leaves begin to open and expose the real treasure-the heart. The artichoke also became a teaching lesson when Judy, as a young military mother, moved her family into military housing in California to find a surprising collection of artichokes planted in their yard. Knowing it takes two years for the vegetable to grow, Judy realized the original gardener never saw the fruits of their labor, but planted the artichokes anyway. Judy was reminded by this experience that many times in life our actions toward others are felt by people we will never meet, but we plant the seeds of kindness anyway. You will enjoy Judy's approachable manner, wonderful storytelling and common-sense solutions gleaned from working with hundreds of families and organizations just like yours. Your encounter with Judy will leave you feeling inspired, entertained, and especially motivated.