Parenting - Behaviour | 3-12 yrs
Helping Your Child Make Friends
ParentCircle
Some children make friends easily while others are shy around people. They may find it difficult to form new bonds. This can lead to problems, as friends aid in a child’s overall development. Not being able to form new relationships can also become problem for kids when they become adults and have to constantly interact with new people in their professional life. According to an article titled Toddling to Ten: Helping them to make lasting friendships published in netmums.com, “Friends can help a child develop their own personality and self-esteem, and the business of making and keeping friends is more or less essential practice for a child if they're going to find a place in society.”
If your child is coy around kids her own age or new people, encourage her to connect with others through simple greetings. Group activities such as park visits or game sessions with just one or two kids from her school or your neighbourhood can be a good idea. Also, find out if your child’s inability to make new friends is due to her shyness, trust issues or some other reason. Once you know the underlying cause of your kid’s lack of friends, you can help the situation in a better way.
The following lines in the famous book Charlotte's Web by E.B. White sum up the value of friendship quite nicely. “Why did you do all this for me?' he asked. 'I don't deserve it. I've never done anything for you.' 'You have been my friend,' replied Charlotte. 'That in itself is a tremendous thing.”
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