In today’s digital world, kids often get their news about the school from social media and the things they read on the Internet. But is there a way to help them learn how to make and keep friends?
As a parent, I often find myself frustrated with the lack of social skills some of my children possess. This is especially true when it comes to making friends at school. They may have all the right words, but I see little evidence that they know how to connect with others in a meaningful way.
As a result, they struggle to develop relationships at school. Unfortunately, this leads to a lot of stress and frustration for parents—especially as they watch their child try to navigate through friendships, school activities, and social situations.
What Can You Do To Help Your Child Make Friends At School?
Below, you’ll find the important things that you can tell your child to help them get friends at school.
Ask questions
If you want to know what your child is thinking or feeling about an upcoming event, ask questions like “Are you excited about this?” or “Is this something you’ve been looking forward to?”
These questions help them open up, which helps them feel more comfortable and confident when they’re around others. Plus, if you have an eye for social media, you can find out how they’re doing it on their own.
Be genuine and kind
Kids are very susceptible to manipulation. You don’t need to be an expert to understand this. The key is to keep your interactions genuine and kind.
The truth is, kids will do anything for attention, and you can use this to your advantage.
The trick is to give them positive attention and avoid negative attention. You should be able to tell the difference between the two, which is why I think it’s important to spend time with your child in a positive environment.
This may not be easy, but it’s worth it.
Make an effort
We’ve talked about the importance of having a positive attitude in school, but what does that really mean? It’s not just a matter of making sure you smile. You also have to make an effort.
The key to success is consistency. If you consistently put in an effort to be friendly, then your positive attitude will eventually rub off on others.
For example, you have one friend who regularly spends time with his friends at lunch, and he always makes sure to say hello. He also tries to help them when they’re struggling with homework or something else. In fact, he doesn’t think much of it if they don’t return the favor.
Another friend of yours is different. He’ll go to school for hours every day, but when it comes to lunchtime, he’s rarely seen. When he does show up, he says hi to everyone, but his positive attitude doesn’t extend to helping them with their work or anything else.
You like both of these friends, and you respect their approaches. But you also know that you’re more likely to spend time with the second friend if you see him out and about. So try to do what you can to be friendly to both of them.
Accept the fact that not everyone will like you
Many parents are surprised to find out that their child doesn’t like everyone. It’s common for kids to be shy or introverted, and this can lead to negative reactions when they don’t feel comfortable talking to others.
As a parent, you need to accept that some kids may not like you. You’ll never get your kids to like you, but you can teach them how to be good friends and avoid falling into social exclusion.
Few strategies that you can use with your children to help them build friendships at school:
- Set a positive example. This seems so simple, but it’s not always easy. If you set the right tone when interacting with your child, they’ll have a much easier time making new friends at school. The best thing to do is set a good example. You can start by asking yourself the following questions: • What kind of relationship do you want with your child? • How do you want your child to treat others? • What are the characteristics of a friend? This helps you determine how to interact with your child. For example, if you want your child to develop a strong friendship network at school, you may need to be more patient and understanding than you would with a friend.
- Be honest and open. It’s important for kids to learn about their strengths and weaknesses. But this is easier said than done. If you want to help your child make friends, you have to be honest about your own weaknesses. You also need to be open about how much time you spend on social media, and how much time you spend working or studying. Kids don’t need to know everything about you, but they do need to know what they can expect from you.
- Encourage your child to join groups. I know this seems obvious, but I see parents who spend hours online on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and the like. And then they wonder why their children struggle to make friends at school. The key to making friends at school is to encourage your child to join groups. You can do this by joining the same groups as your child. This lets you share posts, photos, videos, and messages. This is a great way to help your child make friends and build relationships in a fun and safe environment.
- Don’t give them too much information. This is a tricky one because you want to provide your child with all the information they need to succeed. But if you overshare, they may get too much information, and it could be confusing for them. The best thing to do is give them enough information that they can succeed, but not so much that they get overwhelmed.
- Be consistent. As a parent, it can be easy to forget about your child’s social life. But it’s important to stay connected and consistent. This means you have to set aside time for yourself. If you don’t, you may find yourself being overly critical or demanding. This will only make things worse, and it will cause your child to lose interest in connecting with you.
- Understand that school is different than home. When you go to work, you interact with people you have never met before. The same goes for school. Kids don’t know everyone at school, but they
Smile and be nice
So you want to help your child become more socially competent, but how?
I’m not talking about the “fake it till you make it” approach of pretending to be someone you’re not. Instead, I’m referring to the kind of “fake it until you feel it” approach of smiling and being nice.
Why? Because kids are naturally drawn to people who smile, are friendly, and are helpful. When you show kindness and interest in others, it will have an impact on their behavior. In addition, kids who are treated with kindness and respect are more likely to treat others the same.
How? By being a friend, being a mentor, being a role model, or by simply making a child feel important. A kid’s ability to connect with people will increase as they become more comfortable in their own skin and learn to love themselves.
Be the same as your classmates
The problem is that kids often learn social skills from their peers, not from their parents. So we need to make sure our children’s friends are good influences. This means being the same as them—in age, interests, and behavior.
We need to be role models of what it looks like to be an engaged, caring, and kind friend. We also need to set clear boundaries for what is appropriate in terms of behavior, dress, and language.
Parents can do this by talking about how they feel in a respectful way, without blaming or shaming their children. By showing them how to be kind to others, we can help them develop healthy friendships.
Ask about what they like to do and things they are good at
One of the best ways to encourage a healthy sense of self-esteem and confidence in kids is to ask them about what they like to do and things they are good at. This will help them feel valued and encouraged to pursue their passions and talents.
I know from experience that many parents struggle to get their children to open up about themselves, especially when it comes to school. Asking them about their interests and hobbies can go a long way toward fostering a positive self-image.
Say something nice
I was recently having a conversation with my son about his new class. He was telling me about a student in his class who is really good at football and basketball. He told me he thinks the student will be popular.
He added, “But I don’t want him to be friends with me because I’m not good at sports.” I laughed and said, “Of course, you’re not good at sports. That’s why I think you’ll make a great friend.”
This simple line of reasoning inspired my son to go on to explain what makes a good friend. It wasn’t until I got home and reflected on his answer that I realized it could have gone differently.
Instead of making him feel bad about himself, I could have encouraged him to say something nice about the student. I could have pointed out that he has lots of friends, but few really close ones.
Learn from their interests and values
The first step to creating meaningful connections with children is to understand what they care about and what makes them unique.
If you can identify those things, then you’ll be able to help your child connect with others who share those interests and values.
In other words, you’ll be able to help your child build a stronger sense of identity and belonging.
To start, make time to observe your child’s interests and values in real life.
When they are young, it can be hard to tell what kids care about, but they will eventually let you know what they like.
As they grow older, they will become more aware of their interests and values.
You’ll see what they like when they watch videos, play video games, listen to music, or use the Internet.
Once you understand their interests and values, you can begin to think about how you can help them connect with others who share those interests and values.
Know how to make new friends and keep existing ones
I’ve spent a good amount of time studying the psychology behind friendship, and I’ve found that many of the common mistakes people make when trying to make new friends are pretty easy to avoid.
What’s important to remember is that you don’t have to be perfect to make friends in the real world. Sometimes just showing your child that you’re trying will be enough to help him or she makes some new friends.
There are many ways to help your child succeed in school when making friends. The best thing that you can do for your child is to be a good listener. You can also be a good friend to your child by being a great listener. Let him or her talk about things that he or she likes. If he or she is having a bad day, try to cheer him or her up. Being a good friend is a way of helping your child. Don’t be a know-it-all. It’s better to be a little nosy than a know-it-all. The best thing that you can do is to learn how to be a great listener and a friend. When your child is having a bad day, let him or her talk. Try not to be a know-it-all. Be a good listener and a friend. If your child wants to talk about his or her troubles, you can listen. If you are worried that your child might be talking about something that you don’t want to hear, tell your child that you don’t want to hear that. You should also be a good listener if your child is having a good day.
Final Words
In conclusion, the key is to take the time to understand the needs of each individual child. Each child has his or her own way of learning best, and this is important to remember. Once you have established a relationship with your child, you can encourage him or her to work on any areas in which he or she needs to improve. We hope that this article helps you to get your child new friends at school.
