We all take things for granted sometimes. Children especially do. When they have a nice home, parents who care for them, family, friends, food, health, and money, it’s very easy for children to believe they will always have what they have now. But you and I know that we shouldn’t, and can’t, take things for granted. It’s important that parents help children see that life can change pretty quickly. Not that we want to scare them but they need to be thankful for what they have but also know that may not always be the case. If they take other people for granted, friendships can suffer. They, therefore, need to be able to maintain friendships by appreciating the people around them more.
In the past few weeks, I have worked with a couple of children who have been taking their friends for granted. They weren’t putting the effort into their friends but they couldn’t see it. They thought that just being part of the group and being invited places was enough. It just isn’t. Children need to make an effort with their friends otherwise those friendships will diminish and they will be looking for new friends.
If you have a child like this, how can you help them to maintain friendships?
How To Maintain Friendships
Encourage your child to be the person who instigates plans rather than waits for plans to happen. It’s good to go with the flow at times, but they need to show they want to see their friends.
Make sure they are being an active participant in conversations and taking an interest in what their friends are doing. If they appear disinterested, their friends will start to feel the same way about talking to them. Or if they are too quiet, friends may get bored or not feel like they can connect fully.
Make sure they are connecting with friends in school and out, as well as on social media. They have to make things happen and not take for granted that their friends will be available when it’s convenient for them.
Friendships are fragile and need to be nurtured to grow. Help your child to learn that friendships are a two-way street that changes as they grow older. So, if they want it to survive, they must stop taking friends for granted. Here is some more information on maintaining friendships.
