Presenting a systematic plan for parents helping kids make and sustain friendships including:
• Making time for friends by not overscheduling. • Developing interests that attract friends. • Dancing and sports are in; solitary video games out. • Finding friends in the neighborhood. • The potential for a positive role with internet social networking as a way to meet and stay connected, including instant messaging, websites, blogs, MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. • Addiction can become a problem but the correct and supervised use of the internet and social networking is now an essential part of kids' friendship. • Dealing with Teasing & Bullying. • Learning social and emotional intelligence skills like listening, empathy, compassion, recreational conversation. • Modeling friendships in your own life, at work, in the neighborhood, and at home. • Helping kids deal with and survive stormy friendships.
The author's philosophy is that parents can take on the important role of model, advocate, champion, and facilitator, in a highly effective and important way. Kids must have friends, it's essential, and we can help.
