Essential Friendship Skills to Teach to Your Children

Children who reach preschool age tend to socialize with children their age. This life stage is crucial for social development when children socialize in preschool or with family and relatives.

In my book, "Molly The Trolley And Bud," we learn of the incredible friendship between Molly the Trolley and Bud, the Human. Molly and Bud would spend time together every Saturday by traveling around the town. After Molly dropped off Bud's dad at the farmer's market, Bud stayed behind and rode until the end of her route. In a way, their friendship remains strong because they like spending time together.

However, there are other ways to teach your children how to create long and healthy friendships. Learning these "friendship skills" can help your little ones expand their social circle. Here are some essential friendship skills to teach your children:

1. Teach your child how to say hello.

The first step of any friendship is introducing yourself to a new person. This step helps teach your child to introduce themselves while also inviting someone to play with them. As a rule of thumb, kids can use this handy starter phrase:

"Hi, my name is ___. Would you like to play with me on the swings?"

This starter is excellent because it gives the other child a chance to say yes or no. If the child says yes, keep a close watch on them. If they said no, you could teach your child to handle rejection graciously by saying. "Okay, that's fine. Have a great day." Remember to praise your child for putting themselves out there!