Why friendship is important? 5 good advice to teach our kids its value
The universe makes sense only when we have someone to share our emotions with. -Paulo Coelho
After almost thirty years, I remember perfectly with a smile printed on my lips the past moments with my childhood friend. The friend I was talking to hours and hours, the one that made me laugh to creep or made me angry. I believe that regardless of how the relationship of friendship has evolved, our friends always stay in our hearts.
I have a living memories of all: the childhood friend I did not meet again, the friend of a life I can not help but the friend-enemies, friends of the school, friends I met at work. With each of them I shared part of my life, emotions that can not be erased and that I will carry my heart forever. I believe that friendship is divide-or divide-with some other moments, beautiful or ugly, of their own life.
It is difficult to give a scientific explanation of friendship. Everyone has a different conception of it. But we all know what it is. We’ve all experienced it since we were little. That is why we need to be ready to receive our children’s questions on this important and fascinating subject.
How to teach the value of friendship
Children learn a lot from our behaviors. Examples are the first means of learning.
- Grow empathic children. Empathy is the founding value of friendship. But also of all the relationships that we build during their lifetime. Since the first months of life interact with your child properly, play with him, show that we know how to listen, understand his needs, and establish a series of interactions. He will learn to empathize with others.
- Treat the frustrations together. It happens often that children are lit up with you, with their brothers, with their friends. Explain to them that misunderstandings must be addressed by speaking. Knowing the other, respecting him, learning to interact with him means laying the groundwork to cultivate sincere and lasting friendship since infancy.
- Please apologize. Let’s give the example. We all make mistakes. And it is fair to admit it and apologize. A very strong word that improves human relationships in its simplicity.
- Teach your children the value of sharing. Remember, however, that you can not force a child to share. Let your child learn from the example and see with his eyes how to behave with others, the affection you feel for them and how you share it regularly.
- Establish your relationship based on trust. It is very important to educate children in the sense of trust. Parents in the first place, but also grandparents and people living around the child, must prove to be the reference figures they can trust. This is demonstrated, first of all, by the example: parents, in fact, must always keep the word given, whether it is positive promises, or when it comes to punishments.
READ ALSO: TEACHING CONSCIOUSNESS TO CHILDREN
Cultivate your friendship always. At any age. From 0 to 100 years. Friends light us up in the dark. Let’s tame them.
“What does it mean to tame?” Said the little prince. “It’s too forgotten” said the fox. “To me, you’re still nothing more than a little boy who’s just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you I’m nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you’ll be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world …”
Men no longer have time to know anything. They buy things already made by traders. But since there are no merchants of friends, men no longer have friends. If you want a friend, tame me.
READ ALSO: EDUCATE FOR DIVERSITY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Letizia Grasso, Educationalist
“All grown-ups were children, but few of them remember it” This phrase is engraved on my heart. The child who marvels at small things is always with me. I firmly believe that the school should focus on self-construction of knowledge through direct contact with the outside world and, therefore, through the experiences of life. A school open to life and from life itself learns. A school that teaches to observe every little thing, to wonder and to ask questions. A school that forms adults who know how to reflect and put into a relationship the mind and heart.”
