Helping Your Young Child Make Friends

Do you remember your childhood and those special friends? Can you remember all the fun things you did? Playing chase and catching fireflies? Splashing in the pool in the hot sunshine? Seeing who could swing the highest and sharing "special" secrets? Those were special times – times we will always remember. So it bothers us when we see our child lonely or without any friends but don’t know what to do about it. Don’t worry too much, children have a way of working these things out, but in the meantime, there are some things you can do to help.

First, realize that all children are different. Some kids are outgoing and naturally attract lots of friends and some are shy. If your child is shy, he doesn’t necessarily have to have a great many friends; he will probably be content with one or two. So if you are worrying because your child isn’t the most popular child in the class, relax. If your child is happy, you should be too.

Next, don’t be pushy. It’s good to be a concerned parent but don’t push your child out of his comfort zone to make friends. You can help, but let him "test the waters" and move at his pace when it comes to meeting new friends. By being too pushy, you might make your child feel as if he has a problem and something is wrong with him because he doesn’t have a lot of friends.

• Explain to your child that to have a friend, you have to be a friend. Some children need help learning how to play nicely and how to share. Teach your child to do nice things for other kids and to share with the other children.

• An easy way to help kids learn to share is to pack a couple of extra goodies in their lunch. Let them know that it’s okay to share these treats with others to be nice.

• Find out what the fads are in school and let them participate – Pokemon, trading cards etc. By doing this, it lets them have something in common with other kids and get to them.

• Let your child have birthday parties and spend-the-night parties. Invite children from their school, after-school activities, or church. This is a fun way to get to know other kids.

• Carpool with other moms. During the ride, your child will grow accustomed to being around the other children, become comfortable with them, and make friends.

• Let your kids try a variety of activities to see what they enjoy and what they are good at. It is easier to make friends with kids when they have something in common.

Following these tips will help you make it easier for your child to make friends. The most important thing to remember is to relax and let your child move at a pace that he is most comfortable with. In time, he will find that best friend.
Source: http://www.healthguidance.org/authors/324/Jason-Ladock