Friendships
Friendships can be a rollercoaster for kids, filled with soaring highs and frustrating lows.
As parents, watching our children navigate these social dynamics can be tough.
We want to swoop in and fix things, but the real magic lies in equipping them with the tools to navigate these bumps themselves.
Think of yourself as their guide, not their rescuer.
According to Alfred Adler, the father of Individual Psychology, managing friendships is one of the three life tasks that everyone encounters. The other two are work/school and family.
Adler maintains that all three tasks are problematic but pivotal to our contentment and life satisfaction.
Our early social experiences and the relationship skills we develop in childhood influence our future friendships.
Adler urged parents to recognise that a child’s friendship capacities are central to their (a child’s) wellbeing and a significant contributor to school (future work) success.
• Unresolved friendship problems = unhappy child = poor learning outcomes.
So, what to do?
As a parent guide and teacher, you need tools to help your child resolve their friendship issues.
Aim to build your child’s agency to manage their friendship issues—not right away but in the long run.
To do this, you must draw on your array of relationship skills to help your child.
Here are ten time-tested tools to add to your parenting toolbox to help your kids become expert friendship problem-solvers.
