Do you like to meddle in your kids’ friendships? In this episode, Chloe tells the story of her mom showing a lot of restraint when Chloe has a falling out with a friend. It’s not easy to sit back and watch your child deal with a bad friend or struggle through the end of a friendship, but it’s something that every mom is going to have to endure at some point.
What about forming kids’ friendships, though? When our kids are young, we create playdates and orchestrate who our kids’ buddies are. But there comes an age when we can’t play matchmaker anymore. When your child doesn’t make friends easily, what can a mom do other than step in and force a friendship? The women of the iMOM Podcast talk about having kids who are less social or just uncomfortable putting themselves out there to grow friendships. Getting involved is complicated by technology. Social media, gaming, and texting all impact the way kids socialize, meet other kids, and bond. Even if a mom is up on the technology, using it to socialize in the formative years is foreign to most moms.
But somewhere between forming and ending friendships is the middle ground of deciding what kind of kids to be friends with. This is where kids are most of the time. They’re deciding who to let into their inner circle and who to keep at a distance. Mean girls, boys who bully, and frenemies are a reality, but you can help your kids be smart about who they consider friends.
Articles We Mentioned
Teaching Your Daughter How to Deal With Mean Girls
My Kid’s So Nice. So Why Does She Sit Alone at Lunch?
How to Handle Your Child’s “Frenemy”
Does Your Kid Have Red Light Friends? (Coming Soon)
Printables We Think You’ll Like
How involved should a mom be in her kids’ friendships?
