Childhood friendships are as special as they are a necessary part of growing up. While some of our children will maintain these friendships into adulthood, many will not. Kids move away or they find other friends with more current interests and grow apart. Whatever form a childhood friendship is taking, know that these relationships are vital to your child's well-being and growth as a human being.
Your child may have one very special friend from the time they are in diapers or they might have a gaggle of giggling girl friends or a thunderstorm of wild boy friends. These bonds can be helped along or a wedge can be placed between them by the parents. Depending upon your feelings about your child's friend, you could welcome the child into your home and be gracious or you could find that the child your child is enthralled with is a demon incarnate. It's up to you to teach your kids how to interact in healthy ways with their peers or how to let negative friendships go.
While I've been traumatized by a few of my daughters' friends, I have liked most of them. The few children whom I found intolerable were not too welcome in my home, however, if one of my daughter's insisted on a play date with that undesirable child, I would allow the friendship to take its course, mostly to try and figure out what in the world my child liked about her/him. Made for some interesting lessons in humanity. ;-) Most of these friendships have faded in good time, on their own. One or two of these kids have actually won me over and now are among my favorites, although I must admit these kids were basically OK to begin with. They just came with issues I didn't want to deal with. I dealt for my child's sake and all turned out well.
A child who is a truly bad influence on your child will need to be shunned, as painful as that may seem to your child at the time. I find that if you adequately explain that the child in question isn't very "nice" or has actually hurt or emotionally abused your child; this can be sufficient reason for your child to understand the situation without too much trauma. If they resist your urging to make new friends or avoid the horrid one, you will probably need to be tolerant until your child digests the circumstances and moves on in her own time. This helps your child learn to differentiate between people they want to spend time with, those they don't and to make their own choices.
The children you like and who are good influences on your child should be invited over often. Have them stay for dinner, take them along on family or fun outings and allow them to become part of your extended family just as your own friends are.
Children need to know their friends are welcome in their home. Treat their buddies with the same respect you would expect your children to treat your pals. They will see how you interact with others who visit and will learn how to be good friends and gracious hosts themselves.
? Rexanne Mancini - 2003
Rexanne Mancini is the mother of two daughters. She is a novelist, freelance writer and maintains an extensive yet informal parenting and family web site, Rexanne.com: http://www.rexanne.com - Visit her site for advice, award-winning Internet holiday pages and some humor to help you cope. Subscribe to her free newsletter, Rexanne's Web Review, for a monthly dose of Rexanne: http://www.rexanne.com
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport carBath time can be fun or it can be a... Read More
Studies have shown that:1 out of 4 children were sent... Read More
With the beginning of the new school year coming VERY... Read More
Vinegar or honey, what do kids really want? "Toys, candy,... Read More
It was no contest. Given a choice between a ball... Read More
The following spelling games can be used by parents to... Read More
A common problem many times facing parents is Colic. Estimates... Read More
Every week I write something about the stock market -... Read More
So you want to be a mum? Every time you... Read More
Detox To Conceive.. If you're having trouble conceiving... Read More
There are a lot of sophisticated parenting theories and techniques... Read More
Spare the rod, spoil the child!This philosophy's been around a... Read More
Teenagers are a work-in-progress, and parenting teenagers can be tricky... Read More
Does music need to be "dumbed-down" for kids? The answer... Read More
From the book Spider's Night on the BoomI've only begun... Read More
Dear friends here we will charge up our mind with... Read More
LOS ANGELES (May 19, 2005) - With Memorial Day weekend,... Read More
I remember when my daughter was born. Visions of her... Read More
IntroductionAs a parent who wants the best for your children,... Read More
Puberty can be a difficult time for children. Not quite... Read More
All responsible parents would want to support their children, find... Read More
This can be a very complicated issue, so I don't... Read More
Parents of teenagers frequently ask what can be done to... Read More
Did you know there's a game children and parents play... Read More
People always ask my wife and I: "How did you... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..The 'phone conversation had nothing at all to do with... Read More
Often I have heard that leaders are born, not made.... Read More
What Children Look for in a Friend?Is this child fun... Read More
Maintain CommunicationEven though teens need to separate from their parents... Read More
Everyone needs friends, and, as parents, you and I both... Read More
Child Safety Restraints and children in work vehiclesIf you take... Read More
What are we teaching our children about money? Hopefully something!I... Read More
A study done by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute found... Read More
Creating and making special memories with your child is very... Read More
The law of -ing.The law of -ing refers to a... Read More
Just the other day my oldest son asked:"Daddy, am I... Read More
A great many parents are concerned that the electronic games... Read More
Software for parental control is a useful tool, if applied... Read More
Do you have a high maintenance child?"Thank goodness my second... Read More
Most of us really don't like it when someone is... Read More
In the movie, Finding Nemo, Nemo's father, Marlyn asks the... Read More
Compulsory attendance laws are school authorities' first assault on parental... Read More
Think back to your own childhood. Chances are, some of... Read More
There isn't a school day that goes by that I... Read More
If you're a single parent or a married couple on... Read More
Love, love, love. It makes the world go round. It... Read More
Why Me?"We should certainly count our blessings, but we should... Read More
Have you made your usual New Year resolutions? You know... Read More
When parents help their children learn to read, they help... Read More
The Flow of WaterWater is essential for life on the... Read More
Parenting |