Best Buddies: Helping your Children Form Positive Friendships

Many parents express intense concern over the way their children treat and are treated by friends. From "my child's so bossy, I'm worried that she'll never have any friends," to "my child doesnt stand up for himself, he always does what his friends want," and including "my child came home crying because his friends wouldn't let him join the soccer game," children's social lives, the form that they take, and the way in which they develop often worry parents. "Kids are so cruel, won't that affect my child's self-esteem?" "My daughter was treated poorly by one of her friends one day, and the next day she turned right around and treated another child in exactly the same way - didnt she learn that it hurts when people treat you that way?" "That kid is allowed to listen to terrible music in his house, I'm afraid to let my child go over there. What should I do?" These questions, and many more, will be examined in their developmental and social context. Parents must support their children in forming appropriate friendships, strengthen their children to combat negative peer pressure, and help their children internalize good values. These are not easy tasks, yet this workshop will yield important insights, and provide practical tools as well as effective solutions, no matter what your child's age.