If you’ve just moved to a new city or even just a new neighborhood, your children might not see their old friends anymore. Making new friends can be really daunting for a lot of kids, especially if it’s in the middle of a school year. Here are some tips for helping your child make new friends, along with a few things you can do to make it a little easier.
Encourage Honesty
Making new friends is hard no matter how old you are. Be honest with your child about how difficult it can be. Maybe let them know that you miss your old friends and wish you had new ones already, too. Encourage them to be honest with you about how they’re feeling, and let them know that they’re not alone.
New Friend Challenge
It’s tempting for many children in a new place or school to wait for someone else to approach them, but that’s not always the best way to meet new people. Turn making friends into a daily challenge. Each morning, encourage your child to talk to one new person at school that day. Follow up in the evenings by asking whom they talked to and what they talked about. If they talk to someone every day that week, offer a reward over the weekend.
Meet the Neighbors
If you live in an area with a lot of families, make an effort to get to know some of the other parents. Set up coffee or lunch dates with some of the other parents in the neighborhood and ask if they want to bring their kids along. You can also throw a get-together or potluck at your house and invite the neighbors over. If you don’t know whom to invite, take advantage of the Internet. There are plenty of Facebook regional parenting groups, such as Nextdoor, that are helping people connect. Once you’re in the group observe the discussions that are happening and then introduce yourself to your neighbors. You can even ask if anyone is interested in carpooling – it creates a sense of community and helps one get to know not only the kids but also the neighbors.
Sign Them Up for Activities
Lots of friendships start because of shared interests. Signing your child up for a few different activities will help him meet other kids who like the same things. Joining a little league sports team will allow your child to develop teamwork skills with a bunch of new people. Dance, karate, art classes and more widen your child’s circle or acquaintances and give your child the chance to get to know kids in the area who might not go to their school. Plus, the regular practices and meetings give more opportunities for friendships to develop.
Keep In Touch With Old Friends
Just because they’re working on making new friends doesn’t mean your kids have to forget about their old ones. If they’re having a particularly hard day or week, have them write a letter to one of their friends from their old school or town. Starting a pen pal friendship can be fun as they wait for a letter back. Plus, it will help on days when they feel lonely to remember that they still have friends in other places.
Lots of new friends will come with lots of new activities! For those of us parents that feel as though most of our time is spent picking up and dropping our kids off from those activities, there’s a way to make your life a whole lot easier! GoKid is available on the Apple App store and also coming to you as a desktop application very soon. Have you tried GoKid yet? Love it? Please make sure to leave your review on our App page today!
