It can be tough to make new friends, especially if you don’t know anyone yet. When in doubt, walk up to another child who’s standing alone and introduce yourself. Say something like, “Hi, my name’s Eliot. What’s yours?”
As you grow up, you might see children bullying other children for the way they look, act, or dress. Bullying is wrong on so many levels, so you should tell a trusted adult about it straight away. Say something like, “Yesterday, I found a few people making fun of my friend Ralph at recess because of his asthma. I had no idea what to do except tell you, Mrs. Ehlderson,”.
For instance, maybe there’s a child in your school who always eats lunch alone. You could invite them to eat lunch at your table and see if you two can become friends.
Children are sometimes tempted to fit in with the popular people by pretending to be what they’re not. If you ignore of your real interests just to hang out with certain people, you won’t have any real fun together. If you are considered to be the most popular boy/girl within your class, take advantage of it for the right reasons, for example, if you suggest going to the aquarium for a class field trip.
Maybe you like collecting and reading comic books, making art, playing practical jokes/telling jokes, watching cartoons, or either going swimming or sailing.
If your father makes something new for dinner, give it a taste before you say if you like it or not. If your friend wants to play a new video game, try it out for a few minutes to see if it’s fun or not.
If you’re really stuck on a subject, you could even ask your parents to hire you a tutor.
For example, maybe your friend is moving to another state and you won’t get to see them as often. The good news is that they live near a beach now, so you can go visit them in the summer and play in the ocean!
Maybe you’re good at writing, or video games, or picking out outfits, or being kind, gentle, and compassionate towards others. If you’re feeling stuck, try asking your friends or parents what you’re good at. Sometimes, other people recognize stuff we’re good at before we do.
If you don’t understand a rule, try asking your parents to explain it. You can be easygoing and respectful by saying, “I don’t quite get why I have to do that. Can you tell me?”
