My daughter recently started high school and the school held a “Making New Friends”talk with the new students in their first week.
Some of the advice can be applied to all of us in any new environment and so I thought it was worthwhile sharing the tips with you:
- Remember that though meeting new friends may be scary,it is a very normal part of life.
- It will require some effort but it will be worth it in the end.
- It is important to have friends that we connect with,respect and are respected by.
- Seek out friends that share values and interests.
- We should always feel safe with friends.
- Real friends accept differences of culture and appearances.
- A good way to get to know someone better is start a conversation about a common interest.
- Stay positive as people are attracted to positive people.
- Don’t be tempted to share too much too soon as you need to get to know the person first.
- Avoid bossy,gossipy,controlling people and especially those who are mean to others.
- It is normal for even the best of friends to go through a bumpy or challenging time.
- When a friendship ends it is sad but in the long term it means that the “genuine like”is no longer aligned. Choose friends that really value the real you.
