Making Friends by Being Friendly
I was at a local park with a family pre-schooler when I observed a beautiful interaction between three young girls. Two sisters around six and eight were playing at the kid’s play area. As soon as a younger girl walking with her mom noticed them, she took off running and slipped herself into their midst.
The two sisters looked puzzled and frozen; not knowing what to do or how to handle the girl who had just joined their company. They looked at it each other and then started retreating from their play area, with the little girl following them. Their mother saved the day by encouraging her daughters to play with her.
In response to their mother’s encouragement, the two sisters carefully engaged with the girl as she bravely introduced herself to her newfound friends. Knowing her name, seemed to make the sisters comfortable as they then tried out the many different climbing bars and laughed while chasing each other.
Some young children find it easy to be social and are keen to engage with others. Teaching the hesitant ones some soft skills will make their interactions easier and likely more enjoyable.
Ask and wait: When you notice other kids playing and would like to join in, ask and wait to be allowed in. This shows respect for others and not entitlement.
Introduce yourself: Sharing something about yourself like your name and what games you enjoy or your favourite colour helps you not to be a stranger, and could also help identify something you have in common. This is a communication skill that is useful for all.
Be kind and respectful: Don’t say anything that will hurt someone else’s feelings, like name-calling, as it can cause you to lose friends.
Let others too: Let others also talk and share their stories or choose the games to play. Showing interest in others is a sign of respect, as what they have to say and suggest matters too.
Expressing gratitude: Interacting with other kids gives an opportunity to learn something new, experience new toys, games and language. Saying thank you for the experience keeps it positive and can make future invites possible.
