Skills for Making Friends

05/23/2005

No sooner have you spoken than what you have said becomes the property of another.
Hindustani Proverb

Skills for Making Friends

In her Parenting Exchange column, "Social Skills Children Need to Make and Keep Friends," Karen Stephens outlines just a few of the skills children need to master in order to develop friendships.

"To make and keep friends, children must be able to:

* Recognize shared interests
* Gracefully join into play
* Pay attention to non-verbal communication cues
* Identify common goals
* Listen to and respect feelings
* Empathize with another person's perspective
* Practice compassion
* Cooperate
* Accept others
* Include others
* Extend a trust-worthy, helping hand."

This full article is available in two places. First, you can view it on our web site at http://mail.ccie.com/go/eed/0625.

Second, it is one of 15 columns on the Parenting Exchange on CD collection, "Friendship, Social Skills, Manners, Diversity." This week all Parenting Exchange on CD collections will be on sale for a 20% discount at http://mail.ccie.com/go/eed/0626

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.