Your child may be a social bee or a little hesitant at making friends. Good friendships are something we cherish and value throughout our lives. Although making friends is an important part of your child's social and emotional development, it is important to remember that every child is unique and develops differently. If your child is having difficulty in making friends at school, then a little help and encouragement from mom and dad may be just what your child needs.
Step 1
Encourage your child to participate in extracurricular activities and join clubs. Your child will have the opportunity to meet people who have similar interests.
Step 2
Arrange a playdate. Ask your child who he would like to invite and call one or two children. (Remember that your child may be intimated in a larger group.) Arrange activities that your child enjoys and is good at, which will give him confidence. Provide guidance and ease any tensions that may arise, being careful not to dominate the playdate. Arrange regular playdates with the same children to develop familiarity.
Step 3
Role-play with your child to help her learn how to act in social situations. Make it fun and interesting and provide subtle guidance. You can practice how to start a conversation, how to approach a group of children and how to deal with refusal or rejection. Role-playing will equip your child to know roughly what to expect in real-life situations, and it will help your child develop the social skills to make friends.
Step 4
Become your child's chauffeur and talk to the parents of other children in your child's class. Volunteer to shuttle your child's classmates between activities like swimming, or start taking turns picking up and dropping off from school. This will provide an opportunity for your child to get to know other children without being overwhelmed.
Step 5
Don't pressure your child, but offer support. Some children are extremely social, having many friends from different groups, while others are content having just one or two good friends. Don't pressure your child to make friends with particular people. Let him choose his friends, and realize that pressuring your child may cause him to withdraw further. Listen to your child and offer support.
Step 6
Talk to your child's class teacher. Remember that your child's teacher also spends a significant amount of time with your child, so discuss your concerns with her. If there is someone she thinks will get on well with your child, ask her to make them sit together in class or work together on a project.
