12 Tips on How to Teach Your Kid to Be a Good Friend

As a parent, it’s natural to want your child to surround themselves with positive influences and role models. But are your kids good influences to those around them? Teaching your child the skillsets of what it takes to be a good friend will bring them far in life, not just in social skills.

1. It all begins with self-esteem and confidence. Teach your kid that those who express confidence don’t seek validation from others to fill emotional voids. You can promote these qualities by praising their hard work and pointing out their best qualities.

2. Teach them to value honesty, loyalty, empathy and trustworthiness. These lessons are just as important as skills like Math and English, and are important to talk about with your kids.

3. Show them how to recognize unique gifts and qualities in others. While valuing your own kid’s thoughtfulness or sense of humor, they will learn to value these similar qualities in others, or even different ones that complement them in different ways.

4. A cliché but a timeless one – always teach the golden rule – the principle of treating others as you would like to be treated. This teaches the concepts of compassion, regret and empathy.