You may have noticed things aren’t the way they were twenty-plus years ago. Kids spend more time indoors and not out playing with friends and making memories. With more technology available to kids, it’s becoming harder and harder to build real relationships when everyone has their faces in a phone, tablet or computer screen. As parents, you want your kids to develop lasting friendships that will help them throughout their lives. This is why it’s so important you start teaching how your kids can be better friends.
Bring back the better days and teach your children how to be a better friends and build relationships that will last.
Get Unplugged
Help your kids get unplugged. The first step to even making friends is to be there fully. Teach your kids to put the electronics down and be involved with their friends. It’s not easy to have a relationship with someone who isn’t even looking you in the face when you’re talking!
Empathy
In this technology age, kids have begun to lack empathy. The ability to feel for others is a huge quality any friend wants and needs. If you can’t empathize, you can’t truly be there for someone and trust won’t be earned. Teach your kids to be empathetic and open to other’s feelings.
Listening
Information passes so quickly online so kids have become accustomed to skimming through it instead of listening and paying attention. Show how to listen by leading by example. Listen to your kids when they speak and teach them to do so for others. Sometimes all a friend needs is someone to listen.
Speak Kindly
As the old saying goes “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all”. Encourage your kids to speak kindly to others. Again, this is something you can set an example of. As you’ve probably noticed, people have become more vocal about saying negative things because they feel they can hide behind a keyboard. If your child wants to make friends, they need to understand the impact their words can have on others.
Be the Friend They Would Want to Have
Overall, teach your kids to be the friend they would want to have. This will draw more friends to them that are like them and lead to stronger, healthier relationships. Teach your kids to stick to their values and not to change simply because they want someone to like them.
How do you teach your kids to be better friends? Is there a friend you’ve had for a long time, and what do you do to keep that friendship going strong? Share your thoughts in the comments!
