So how are your children in year seven doing? Hopefully, they are all settled in as we head into the third and final school term. I tend to see many children around this time in year seven about friendships – checking in with them about how they think they are getting on and helping them form stronger friendships. I find that many children at this stage are either still with the friends that they had in primary school who they move up to secondary with and have made a couple more friends. Or have made new friends, formed a small group and are sticking with those friends.
The first group of friends is a safe option. It’s very easy to stick with who you knew in primary school and make new friends together and bring them into the group. The group gets bigger and that child is still with who they are familiar with as well having new friends. A child who comes to see me who says this is the situation they are in I make aware that this friendship group may not remain as it is. Their primary school friends may want to branch out and get to know other people – as may the new friends. And that is fine, of course it is but that is something they need to be aware of and maybe they could also be thinking about talking to more people and making more friends.
The second group of friends shows that the child has put themselves out there or maybe has just got lucky with other people making an effort with them. They also need to be open to the idea of friends leaving the group as they all get to know each other so it is important that they talk to more people outside of their group, maybe grow their friendship circle allowing others in.
Creating Stronger Friendships Outside Of School
It is great that new friendships have been made in either case but how do those friendships grow and become stronger? It might be time for those children to be thinking of collecting whatsapp phone numbers and connecting with their new friends outside of school. Making whatsapp groups and starting to make plans with those children in the Easter holidays. There has to be a time when they take their friendships outside of school where they can really socialise so why not encourage them to start doing this now or in the coming weeks.
Read more advice and resources on Children & Friendships
50 Ways for Your Child to Have Successful Friendships
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