Keeping Friendships

Friendship is about sharing and caring. Keeping Friendships that will help your child prevent and deal with bullying can be an important strategy. A good friendship starts with your child. They have to like themselves and know they are worthy of having friends and have something valuable to share.

Parents can help build their sense of self worth.

Friendships don't just happen. They are made between two people sharing who they are with each other. Preventing bullying through friendship is a valid skill and once your child makes friends it is important that they be able to keep the friendship.

Top 10 ways to keep friendships

1) Be kind and respectful

2) Stand by them in good times and bad

3) Be supportive when your friends need your help and advice

4) Tell the truth.

5) If you hurt them say sorry and make it right.

6) If a friend hurts you and says sorry accept the apology.

7) If you make a promise keep it.

8) Don't try to change them...accept them the way they are.

9) If you have a disagreement/conflict problem solve and negotiate until you find a solution that works for both of you.

10) Make time for each other and show interest in their lives and the things they are interested in

If this sounds like a difficult list to follow...Well...it can be. Building strong, deep friendships is a life skill. Learning ways for keeping friendships will help you through life during the good times and the tough times.

REASON KEEPING FRIENDSHIP IS SO IMPORTANT

We know through research the bully may find it difficult to make and keep friends. They can be controlling, manipulative and over powering most times because they have no self esteem. They have not been taught how to make friends and keep them and need to get a feeling of significance so they Bully. A Bully who can learn to make friends and keep them will be less isolated and feel better about themselves.

We also know isolation of a targeted child makes the bullying that much more difficult to bare. A targeted child who can make friends and keep them is less likely to see the bullying escalate to the more serious levels and suffer the long term consequences.

Friendship is a win-win for all children especially those involved in bullying. Keeping friendships strong will serve all children (and a good idea for us parents to remember)

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