Friendship is a relationship between two or more people who like each other. You can build strong, lasting friendships by paying attention to how you treat other people.

What is a healthy friendship?

• Having common interests
  
  
• Treating friends the way you want to be treated
  
  
• Paying attention when friends are talking
  
  
• Keeping a friend’s confidences
  
  
• Sharing with friends
  
  
• Being truthful
  
  
• Sticking up for a friend
  
  
• Taking turns with a friends

What are the signs a child is developing healthy friendships?

• A child takes pleasure and pride in friendships.
  
  
• Despite some disagreements, the overall experience is positive.
  
  
• A child develops preferences for particular children.
  
  
• Your child allows you to meet his friends and their parents.

How can parents help children maintain friendships?

• Teach your child to appreciate his friends.
  
  
• Encourage your child to show interest in his friends’ lives.
  
  
• Talk with your child about how to handle arguments without hostility.
  
  
• Tell your child to maintain contact with his friends.
  
  
• Help your child have fun together with his friends.
  
  
• Teach your child to build trust with his friends.
  
  
• Help your child support his friends when things get tough.
  
  
• Teach your child to help his friends find solutions to their problems.
  
  
• Get to know your child’s friends and their parents.