Friendships can be hard at any age. Helping children learn to navigate relationships with friends is a big job. Here are a few tips.
Talk to them about your own experiences. Share lessons that you have learned with friendships throughout your life. Talk about times that you had conflicts and how they were resolved. Put problems and arguments with friends into perspective. Remind your child about times that they have been angry with siblings and parents and that those situations were only temporary.
Talk about the difference between healthy and unhealthy friendships. Teach them how to spot one-sided friendships. Explain that children who bully and judge often lack self-confidence and try to cover that up by controlling those around them.
Look for more than one place for your children to create friendships. This allows them to create other social circles. Sports, 4H, and extracurricular classes are great places to do this.
The library is a great place to find books and movies your children can relate to and learn from as they navigate friendships. Stop in and let us help you find some great materials!