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Friendship is an important part of childhood and can have a significant impact on a child’s overall well-being. Teaching children essential friendship skills can help them form positive and healthy relationships. Here are a ten tips for helping children develop the skills they need to be a good friend:
1. Teach kids that friendship is reciprocal:
Children might need to be reminded that friendship is a back and forth of ideas and play preferences. Encourage sharing and cooperation during playtime. Children learn how to be a good friend by sharing and working together. Encourage your child to share their toys, take turns, and play cooperatively with others.
2. Teach empathy and perspective taking:
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Teach your child perspective taking by challenging them to put themselves in the shoes of their friends and to consider how their actions might affect others. This is particularly difficult for children with social challenges, but it can be learned with practice.
3. Encourage active listening:
Active listening is the ability to pay attention and respond to what others are saying. Encourage your child to listen carefully to their friends and to respond in a thoughtful and respectful way. Practice asking follow up questions to stay engaged in the conversation. Kids might need to be reminded that
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Warmly,
Nadine