Understanding The Role of Friendships
Friendships can play a vital role in the mental well-being of both children and teenagers. Recent research has shown correlations between friendship and improved mental health, a few factors friendships can directly enhance include increased self-esteem, self-confidence, emotional intelligence, and more. The process of developing friendships can also help get them to learn valuable lessons such as how to set down boundaries and problem-solving. It is especially important to help them establish several properties of healthy relationships including, mutual respect, empathy, and trust. it is also crucial to discuss the different types of friendships they may encounter ranging from close friends they can confide in to occasional acquaintances. All these factors can weigh into the effect their friendship has on their mental well-being. A few ways to help them maintain and develop new friendships include, encouraging them to practice active listening, engaging in shared interests, discussing things such as taking turns in order to avoid conflict, and lastly for younger children, role-playing a scenario in which they are making a new friend; this can help alleviate anxiety they might feel around it.
Developing and Improving Communication Skills
Effective communication skills are a fundamental part of healthy relationships, in turn, also playing a role in mental well-being. When children and teenagers have the ability to effectively communicate their thoughts and needs they typically also gain the ability to empathize with people–A key component to healthy friendships as outlined above. Being able to express their thoughts clearly and listen empathetically creates a good basis for both understanding and partnership, both being essential in solving conflicts and creating connections between two people. Helping them in developing these skills not only enhances the quality of their social interactions but also greatly develops their own self-esteem as well as emotional intelligence.
Nurturing Social Confidence
Identifying the signs of social anxiety or shyness and overcoming them is another key component of developing social confidence. It is extremely common for children and teenagers to feel anxious or unsure in social situations they are new to. Being able to recognize these feelings can allow them to begin taking steps to overcome them, a few examples of those steps for younger children are hosting playdates at your own home rather than going somewhere unfamiliar to them which could cause more anxiety, discussing with your child whether they want your help with making friends(this often depends on the child, sometimes doing this can be even more anxiety-inducing so it is especially important to be aware of their reactions and body language.). Patience and practice are both crucial during this process. It can also be helpful to praise each social interaction they have regardless of if it would be considered small as this can help them gain a sense of accomplishment, further developing their self-confidence.
Virtual Communication and etiquette
Over the last few years, ways to communicate have branched out to different social media platforms and other online websites. Despite the several opportunities that they give out for both education and social connections, it is important to recognize and discuss the potential consequences that could come along with it if not approached with the right etiquette. It is critical to reinforce the idea of communicating to people online the same way they would to a person face-to-face. A few examples of this can include, staying aware of the tone they use, being respectful, being careful with sarcasm and humor, and respecting the other person’s privacy. It is also extremely important to discuss the seriousness of protecting their personal information online and being aware and cautious of the people they are interacting with online.
