Why It's Important for Your Child to Have Friends

Your Child and Her Friends

As you grow older, your definition of friendship changes. Adults tend to make a distinction between different types of relationships, for example, friends and acquaintances. What is less obvious is how friendships can change amongst children.

So what does your child consider friendship to be and why does she need friends so much? What Do Friendships Do? Your daughter's friendships will be beneficial to her in a number of ways as she grows.

Friends provide affection and support, bolstering her self-confidence and self-esteem as she sees her value reflected in those around her. She'll get validation of her feelings, concerns and interests and her friends navigate their way through the complexities of relationships.

Friendships formed in childhood form the prototype of later relationships and she may make friends that last her a lifetime. There are opportunities for the disclosure of intimate feelings in a safe environment, allowing your daughter to face concerns she may have about the changes life is bringing her.

Good friends can also provide a secure emotional base outside the family giving her the confidence to tackle new challenges. Interaction at this level also provides a valuable opportunity to share social norms and helps your daughter build a behavioral framework she can apply to other parts of her life.

Changes Through the Ages.

Between 5 and 7 years old, friendships are transient and defined by interaction; your daughter will be friends with playmates and others who share toys and fun with her. Friendships are easily formed and just as easily broken; it's normal for your daughter to change her best friend on a daily basis. By the time reaches she 8 to 10 years old, your daughter will be more selective about her friends, choosing them based on trust, traits she likes and shared interests based on the skills she gained during the time in kindergarden and school in Dubai.

Her more stable friendships will be with those she likes a lot and sees often. Conflict will happen, but she's old enough now to do something about resolving any issues. After around 11 years of age, friendships are based on the ability to share more emotionally; she's approaching the age when she's as likely to confide in her friends as you.

Her social skills are developed enough that she'll use negotiating, influencing and conflict management skills to keep her relationships healthy. She'll take an empathetic approach and her friendships will be more robust as a result.

How You Can Help Your daughter learns from you

So demonstrating the skills she'll need to build and maintain healthy relationships is important. If she sees you showing respect to others, listening, managing disagreements effectively and aiming for win-win solutions, she'll adopt the same approach to her own relationships. Spend more time as much as you can with your child.

Don't be just a parent for her, be the best friend, go to amusement parks in Dubai or another child playing yards where she can interract with others. Giving her the opportunity to interact with others enables her to practice these skills in a suitable environment. She can also benefit from your life experience.