Friendships are important in all stages of life, but it is a particularly important part of pre- teen development.
Healthy friendships at this age give young girls the opportunity to learn social and communication skills. It gives her a sense of belonging and it is how she gets to know herself better by interacting with the world around her.
However, any parent will tell you that these relationships can be complex and fraught with complications. It can be a tricky stage to navigate for you and your child.
My daughters have come home several times upset over something that was said or done by another girl they considered friends.
children develop and mature at different rates
As we all know, children develop and mature at different rates. The age bracket between 8 and 10 years old comes with a lot of change and some girls may still enjoy playing with their dolls house whilst some are more interested in YouTube. This disparity can cause some tension within friends who may start to have different interests. You may start hearing about so and so being ‘babyish’ or so and so doesn’t want to play games anymore.
As parents, we can provide a safe space for our girls to be exactly who they are especially if they are experiencing some judgement about who they are and what they like to do from their friendship group.
what is a good friend?
In addition, this is the perfect time to help your daughter understand what a good friend is and what a good friend isn’t. You could ask her what qualities she thinks a good friend has, she can even make a list. In contrast you can discuss what behaviours a not so good friend might exhibit.
This exercise will not only help her cultivate better friendships but also to ensure that she is being a good friend.
friendship skills workshops
Our workshop, 'You've got a Friend', explores this topic fully. The next workshop date is on the 19th April 2022 from 2pm - 4.30pm in Milton Keynes. If you think your daughter would benefit from this topic, you can book a place on the workshop by clicking on the image.
( *Workshops may be in the past depending on when you read this post!*)
We also have the (No Sleep) Friendship Skills Sleepover Workshop taking place on Saturday 15th April 20023 at 4-6pm covering all things friendships!
We hope to see you daughter at one of these events soon!
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