How do you say "I don't want a hug" in the nicest possible way to someone else's child?

46M, Dad of two, UKMy 7-year old daughter has a couple of very close friends that she does everything with. They have been to our house for parties etc. and we see them out of school a lot through shared activities. I'm not close friends with their parents and we tend to keep a little distance even though I do see them every day.Just recently I've noticed that my daughters friends like to get a bit too close to me and it makes me uncomfortable. I'm awkward enough as it is with adults let alone with children so when they want to grab me or touch me I freeze up.This morning I gave my daughter a hug when I dropped her off at school as I usually do and one of her friends lunged in for a group hug. It was completely unexpected and I have to say I didn't deal with it well.How can I cheerfully and nicely say something to gently discourage the behaviour? I'm sure their parents would be mortified if I talked to them about it so its super-awkward. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2eIZ7f2