Simple Do's And Don'ts Of Helping Your Kindergartener Form Lasting Friendships

Posted on: 10 March 2017

When your child starts kindergarten, you may be worried about how well they will fit in there. If you were popular in school, you may want to help your little one be loved among their peers, too. If you were bullied in school or made to feel like an outcast, it's only natural that you will want to help your child avoid experiencing the same trauma.

No matter what your motivations are for helping your little one make friends in kindergarten, your efforts are sure to be rewarding and appreciated as your child develops and hones their social skills. Follow these do's and don'ts when helping your kindergarten student form friendships that have the foundation to last for many years to come.

Do Role Play with Your Kindergarten Student

One fun way to help your kindergarten student be more receptive to friendships is to role play with them. Do this in a simple way where you don't go over the age of what they are ready to hear about friendships. Set up a play scenario in which your child is the new student, and you pretend like you are a child who is meeting them for the first time. In the role play scenario, invite the "new kid" to do stuff, and you may show your child how easy it is to be friendly.

You may also switch up the role-playing, too. After you show your child some possible ways that they can strike up friendships, switch up your role-playing roles. As your child tries out their attempts to be friendly, you can help point out things that they may try doing to attract more friends and build positive friendships.

Don't Make Your Kindergarten Student Play with Someone They Don't Like

Although you may require your kindergarten student to be nice to peers they don't like, you shouldn't force them to play with a fellow student they dislike outside of school. Although you can encourage your child to be more charitable in how they view the person, you shouldn't try to choose their friendships for them.

Also, your child may have a solid reason for disliking a classmate, such as the fact that the person may treat others disrespectfully. Respect your child's choices whenever possible. If they don't want to have a playdate with a peer, you may help them avoid doing so without lying or being rude.

Do Ask Your Child About Their Views on Friendships 

Kindergarten students are sure to have some fun and even funny nuggets of wisdom to share about friendships. However, the point in asking them is not to grab a social media worthy moment in time with your little one's anecdotes. By learning how your child views friendships, you can help them form friendships that meet their needs. You may also be able to steer them in another direction if they don't quite understand he importance of friendship yet. 

Finally, keep in mind that you don't have to let your kindergarten student fend for themselves when it comes to friendship. You can guide them and discuss friendship on an ongoing basis so that you can teach them about the important aspects of being a good friend in more advanced ways as they move through kindergarten and the numbered grades. By starting your kindergarten student out with a sense of empowerment about their friendships, you are giving them a strong foundation to value and nurture friendships throughout their lives. 

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