Do you have a daughter who is aged seven to twelve years old? If yes, how can you describe the circle of friends that she has? Is your daughter the type of girl who flits from one group of friends to another? Or has she been loyal to a friend who she's known since she was a young girl?
At this age group, your daughter is already venturing out into the problematic teenage years. This is precisely the reason why as a parent, you need to do everything that you can to help your daughter develop positive friendships - if she hasn't already done so.
What Parents can do to Encourage Girls to Gain More Friends
No matter what style of parenting it is that you have, the one thing that you need to make sure of is that your daughter has that proper support system around her - which she will find in the form of loyal friends. During her preschool or kindergarten days, you may have noticed how your daughter has magically developed an instant friendship with another girl. This is definitely a good thing, although it's part of the nature of young girls to develop an affinity with their best friends during this age.
As your kid grows a bit older, she may find it difficult to form new friendships. What if her kindergarten best friend suddenly moves? To prevent her from experiencing such a big loss, it is a must to encourage your daughter to have as many friends as she can.
Here are a few tips on how you can do just that:
• Be observant of your daughter's social habits.
Does your daughter have a huge circle of friends, so much so that your house gets a bit crowded during sleepovers? Or does she only have one or two best friends? If the latter applies, then do not force her to get into friendships that she may not be comfortable with. Your daughter may not be that outgoing, but the fact that she has one or two loyal friends means that this is the setup that she likes based on her personality.
• Be a role model.
Don't expect your daughter to put any value to lasting friendships if she does not see the same thing from you. If your own best friend happens to live in a different state, show your daughter how you still keep in touch. Tell her about stories of the adventures that you had when you were still kids, and how your best friend has been with you through some of the most important events in your life.
• Do something to help your daughter boost her self-confidence.
One of the reasons why kids may hesitate to develop friendships with other children is a lack of self-confidence. If your daughter is afraid of getting teased, she definitely will not come out of her shell so encourage her with words and actions so that her self-confidence will be given a boost.
• Organize activities to encourage her to gain more friends.
Finally, you can open up your home as a venue for study groups, sleepovers, baking lessons, pizza or movie nights - events which will encourage your daughter to gain new friends and deepen the bond that she has with her existing group of friends.
By keeping these tips in mind, you can get your daughter to open up to other girls and hopefully develop lasting, loyal friendships with them.
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