6 Tips Teaching Children To Be Good Friends

Illustration (Artem Podrez/Pexels)

JAKARTA - From a young age, most children are naturally attracted to others and want to develop a strong friendship. However, learning how to be a good friend is not necessarily an intuitive skill. And maybe some children need more training than other children.

Some children who have difficulty making friends and maintaining friendships may have social skills left behind or show some behavioral problems. Complaints, physical aggression, and ridicule often arise when children do not have the skills to be able to play well with others.

The nature of quietness and social anxiety disorders can also make it difficult for children to make friends. However, there are many ways to help children develop friendly skills. Launching Very Well Family, Wednesday, May 3, here are tips for teaching children to be good friends.

The first step in teaching your child to be a good friend is to teach him to be proud of himself. A positive self-esteem helps a child to be himself and enjoy interactions with others.

When a child has a strong self-perception, he will not feel the need to participate in bullying or other malicious behavior to make himself feel better or adapt. In addition, a child with a healthy self-perception will establish a healthier friendship and avoid toxic relationships in the future.

Good social behavior is not innate, but needs to be taught. Play a role with your child to teach them how to talk politely to adults and with other children. In addition, teach children the concept of taking turns, sharing, respecting other people's boundaries, and taking care of their own feelings.

In addition, your child also needs to know how to apologize seriously, argue with friends in a polite way, listen to other people, express empathy, and be sportive in the game.

From Frog and Load toitude the Pooh and Christopher Robin, the literature of children is full of strong friendship. Use a book as an opportunity to teach about what makes friendship successful. And what quality the character shows to foster friendship.

Reading books about friendship and problems that sometimes occur in friendship can help children navigate their own friendship. Books about many types of friendship, including with children who are different from each other and have conflicts, to show children how to respect differences and stay friends.

Sometimes, as you get older, it becomes more difficult to make friends. Social anxiety, combined with a lack of opportunities, can create obstacles even just to greet new people.

In addition to maintaining current friendships, encourage children to take the initiative to establish friendships with new people. It can be as simple as smiling and approaching someone just to say hello.

Tell your child that talking to new people does require courage but this can be a fun experience. This skill will help the child well in the long term. Instead of staying at home, it is recommended that children go to the park or register for extracurricular classes.

Children pay attention to your behavior as a parent, even when you think he doesn't pay attention. The child will learn how to treat friends from the way you treat your friends. By being honest with your friends, maintaining your good relationship with friends, and treating your friends well, you exemplify how to treat a friend to a child.

Learning how to be a good friend is not a process overnight. As a parent, you may experience a situation where your child does not act like his best friend. Children may experience moments of conflict, drama, quarrels, and gossip with their friends.

For that, try to change any fight into a teaching moment. Ask your child how a good friend will act in that situation. Finally, the child will master it. With your guidance and a little training, your little one will turn into a friend who cares, is kind, and trustworthy.