Design a Friend

Design a Friend

What kind of friends do your kids pick? Are they kind? Are they a good influence? Does your child behave well when they are around their friends? What is the ideal friend for you child? What qualities does your child want in a friend?

Well, help them design a friend! For starters, is the person kind? Are they willing to share? Does your child play well with them? Do they like your child for who they are or does your child have to change to fit in?

There are so many factors when children pick friends. We as adults want to help them pick friends that are right for them. We want to help kids make friends that will last. Some kids look for what they can get from someone. Some kids want to be friends with someone because they are “popular.”

Also, as adults we need to teach children to be friends with kids who may not have friends. Teaching them to love their neighbor. These children may be hard to be friends with. But, in many cases they are the ones who need friends the most. They may be the kid who is “different” or the new kid. These kids need friends just as much as the “popular” kids if not more.

Not only do you want your child to make wise choices in picking friends, but you also want them to be a good friend to someone else. Friendship is a two-way street. Helping your child design their own friend but also helping design the type of friend someone else may need your child to be. How does your child interact with kids who may need extra grace and help? Do they include them or do they make fun of them?

Some schools are starting a “buddy bench.” The idea is there is a bench on the playground at your child’s school. If someone needs a friend to play with at school they sit on the bench. This shows other kids they need a buddy to play with. The kids go over to the bench and sit and talk to the child looking for a friend. They hopefully can be able to play together and be buddies. The coolest part is that kids came up with this idea!

Children live in a world filled with bullies and mean people. We as adults need to help children find a way to not only help them make good friends but also be a good friend to those around them. Your child may not be friends with everyone, but they need to learn to respect others, hopefully they can influence others to do the same.