We’re still on the subject of friends—how to help your preschooler make them and be one.
After all, friends are a very important part of life. Jesus had friends. Twelve good friends and from those twelve, three close friends, and from those three, one BFF named John.
I hope you have had a chance to watch the Online Parenting Class video on How to Make New Friends. I also want to encourage you to follow the suggestions below so that your preschooler’s early experiences in the world of friends will be positive experiences.
#1 Don’t overwhelm your preschooler by offering too many playdates and too many faces at a time.
#2 Don’t push your preschooler to be friends with someone YOU think they should be friends with. Let them gravitate towards the people they feel most compatible with. That’s what you do, isn’t it?
#3 Take the time to really know your child—what they enjoy doing, where they enjoy spending time, the activities they most enjoy, and whether or not they prefer small groups, one-on-one, or large group settings. Take your cue from these things to put your child in these situations to make friends.
#4 Teach, use, and reinforce their use of manners at home so they will use them with others.
#5 Don’t expect too much. Preschoolers are learning how to make and be friends. They’re going to experience bouts of selfishness, shyness, aggressiveness, and tattling. Work with them to solve these issues instead of condemning them for it.
#6 Be an example of what a good friend is to your friends and to your spouse.
God knows the value of friendships. That’s why he put the following verses in the Bible for us to remember. Teach your preschooler to know these verses, too.
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. ~Proverbs 17:17
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. ~Luke 6:31