Teaching Your Child to Be a Friend

Sherry Martin

“To have a friend…be one” were the words the iron trivet in the little Texas kitchen of my childhood. I used to look at those words every day and I knew they held wisdom, but for the life of me, I could not figure what that wisdom was.

I always made friends easily, maybe because I was an only child and no friends meant no playmates. It wasn’t until much later when I had kids of my own that I realized not everyone possesses the ability to form and maintain friends.

Struggles Turned to Homeschooling Goals

As a mother of a son with special needs, I experienced the pain and helplessness of having a child who was rejected, isolated and he knew it. I prayed he would grow out of it. I had no clue of what to do about it. This was the early 90’s, and all anyone was focused on for children with special needs, were their academic shortcomings.

As homeschool parents we teach our children everything from how to hold a pencil to analytic geometry. Do we need to add social skills to our busy lives too? The answer is a resounding …YES!

Social Skills are a Foundation

Helping your child develop these skills is crucial to a happy, abundant life. All of us are born with the desire for meaningful relationships, and experiences with others that add to our confidence, enjoyment, and well-being. These skills teach our children how to express and control their emotions, take turns, ask for forgiveness and many other necessary social graces they need to become proficient in navigating the communal highway.

Remember, social skillfulness is also important in laying a foundation for our children to become confident spouses and parents later in life.

Sherry Martin

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