The Importance of Friendships in Parenting

Friendships provide children with a sense of belonging, boost self-esteem and enable them to develop social skills; however, some children can find it more challenging than others to make and keep friends.

A child may have difficulty making friends due to various reasons, including personality traits, shyness or anxiety. If this is the case for your child, speak with their teachers or try setting up a playdate as this might help.

Be a good friend

A good friend is defined by being there when needed, supporting your needs, listening to you and helping you be your best self. That is an amazing definition of friendship that all children must develop early on in their lives.

But it is equally essential for them to recognize the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships. If someone starts criticizing your values, taking advantage of your generosity or creating unnecessary drama in your life it may be time for reconsideration.

If someone tries to control you or pressure you into making decisions that don’t serve your best interests, it might be time for an exit strategy.

Parenthood can be challenging for many parents, yet finding that balance between being both parent and friend can be invaluable in terms of providing your child with a healthy sense of themselves and having support from peers to navigate life’s many trials.

Encourage your child to ask good questions

Childish curiosity may be overwhelming, yet encouraging them to ask questions can help foster strong critical thinking skills and make sense of the world. By encouraging questions from children and providing answers when possible, parents can facilitate their development into well-rounded individuals with effective critical thinking capabilities that enable them to make sense of everything around them.

As a parent, you have the power to set the foundation for effective questioning practices among your children. Here are some strategies for getting them talking:

Benefit #1: Asking open-ended questions can facilitate communication between yourself and your child, creating an avenue of dialogue that strengthens bonds between both of you. Children may feel more at ease sharing their thoughts and ideas with you when experiencing difficulty, which is especially crucial when facing challenges themselves.

Start engaging your child by setting aside specific “question times” each day – like bedtime or in the car. By creating these opportunities for talking, they’ll become used to asking questions in these specific environments and be more likely to ask when other situations arise.

Let your child be who they are

Parents often struggle to watch their child navigate friendships successfully. It’s important to remember these situations are opportunities to teach.

Learning social skills early is crucial, and can only get better with practice. Working on your child’s emotional, social and self-regulation abilities will enable them to cope during trying times while building confidence for making friendships.

If your child is having trouble making friends, it may be beneficial to consult their pediatrician or mental health provider about this matter. Their doctor can identify whether the problem stems from medical causes like ADHD, anxiety disorders, autism spectrum conditions or selective mutism and address this accordingly.

Encourage your child to spend quality time with you

Quality time with family is vital in developing strong family bonds and can help children feel safe, secure and supported.

Additionally, children can learn important values and skills like teamwork, cooperation and respect from playing video games.

Though you may not have enough time to spend an entire day with your child, small moments count just as much. Make an effort to connect with him or her through conversations on either end of a phone line, reading aloud together, playing games together, singing songs together or just laughing together.

Studies have demonstrated the benefits of spending more one-on-one time with parents for children’s mental health and behavior, including reduced delinquency. Parents need to find ways to prioritize time with their kids despite any conflict with work commitments or chores, even if this requires temporarily setting aside work commitments or chores.