How to Help Your Child Make New Friends

Childhood friends are such a powerful thing, aren’t they? So many memories, both good and bad are attached to our early experiences. Most parents want their children to enjoy plenty of fun, healthy and lasting friendships as they grow and so it’s easy to feel some anxiety around the subject.

This is especially true when a child faces a change of school. Making new friends is often at the top of a child’s concerns when they know they will soon go to a new school.

Help your child to assuage their fears by explaining that everyone wants to be liked.

All children want to feel that they belong and that they are liked by their peers so the first step a child should make, is to be friendly and pleasant to other children.

If your child is shy

For shy children, this isn’t easy. It’s tricky for shy children to approach others and chat or start a game. The trick with shy children is to teach them to identify the children who might also feel shy or in need of support and to consider how they might help them.

This allows shyer children to feel they have something to offer. If your child is very concerned about friendships or if you have noted that they are struggling, talk to their teacher. Teachers can often offer a real insight into your child’s school experience and it’s not always how your child tells it.

If your child is lonely at school, teachers can be a great help in encouraging your child to join lunchtime clubs or to organise playground games which all children can join in with.

Some schools have house systems that do encourage friendships and camaraderie like this private prep school in Surrey. Children who attend schools with a strong pastoral care team will usually only struggle socially for a short time. 

This is a collaborative post.