We’ve traveled so much for my husband’s work that my daughter has made friends in a lot of cities around the country. But as she is getting older (almost seven) she is becoming more shy. Making friends isn’t coming as easy to her. When kids are younger, they make friends so easily. As we age, it seems to progressively get more difficult. I have friends that I’ve known since I was a baby and friends I’ve know almost my whole life. Those friends I cherish, even if I don’t see them as often as I’d like. {Life gets so busy, doesn’t it?}
Did you know that kids have an average of 5 close friends that they maintain? Because my daughter is homeschooled her closest friends are cousins and church friends. I wanted to join our homeschool co-op because I wanted her to have another place she could make friends. Fall quarter was 8 weeks and it wasn’t until week 7 that she told me she started talking to her classmates. For six weeks, she was quiet! Learning positive friendship skills is important for kids.
Healthy Friendship Tips
According to Kids Matter, these important social skills should be taught to children and practiced.
- Starting Conversations
- Taking Turns
- Expressing Emotions
- Complimenting Others
- Accepting Others
- Sharing
- Apologizing
- Playing Fair
- Good Listening Skills
- Helping
My daughter is really good at some of this social skills but there are other areas that I can help her work on. To be honest, these tips are good for people of all ages. I too can always use help in being a better friend.
When you think of Best Friends and entertainment, which famous duos do you think of? Great friendships, especially for kids, can be found on Netflix.
- Bob and Larry – VeggieTales in the House (beginning November 26th)
- Burt and Ernie – Sesame Street
- Todd and Copper – The Fox and the Hound 2
- Clifford and Elizabeth – Clifford
- Phineas and Ferb
- Martin and Chris – Wild Kratts
- Charlotte and Wilbur – Charlotte’s Web
This week is Thanksgiving! It is a time we spend celebrating family and friends. Friendships need to be cultivated and what better time to be thankful for your friends than Thanksgiving? And don’t forget to catch the new VeggieTales in the House with Bob and Larry premiering November 26th!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post from Netflix Stream Team. All opinions are mine alone.
