My 4 year old, who's clever, imaginative, and very lovely, sometimes seems to lack any social common sense/boundaries. She will go up to people she has only met once or twice with huge enthusiasm and is often rebuffed by "Cooler" children, even if they are younger than her. She will also talk in a baby voice to strangers, or seemingly deliberately behave like a much younger child.
She can come across as rather silly and annoying and I sometimes feel like she is selling herself short.
I find myself getting embarrassed by her behaviour and wanting to explain to other people that she is really not like that. Sometimes I get angry, partly on her behalf, and partly because I don't understand! We have always socialised a lot so its not like she hasn't had opportunities to observe. We live in an inner city where "cool" social behaviour is pretty much a prerequisite for school survival, and I am slightly worried on her behalf.
Can I TEACH her social survival skills without it taking away her spontaneity? She is already over-conscientious and I am aware that some of this behaviour - the second part - probably comes from anxiety/shyness, and the first part is just because she is very loving.
Can anyone help please - with my responses (wchih I think are making this worse) and with her behaviour? Cheers.