Assessing Your Child’s Friends – How To Handle A Sensitive Issue

There are many wise sayings related to friends, the company we keep, and the effect their presence and influence has on us. As a parent, you may be wondering how to manage the impact — both positive and negative — of your child’s friends, especially when he or she reaches school-going age and peers become a significant social force. It is important to know when to simply advise your child and when to take more action. The following post takes a closer look at these choices:

Parents: Should You Choose Your Child’s Friends?

Remember that moment when you held your baby for the first time. Along with suddenly turning into a parent, you were smacked with the responsibility of another human being. You chose between cloth and disposable diapers, between breastfeeding and formula, between steel and BPA free plastic…at every stage of that little person’s life – you made a choice.

Thinking about peer influence

This rang in my ears especially loudly when this past week my four year old said a bad word. I did a double take and asked him what he said. He just shrugged and repeated his sentence like it was nothing out of the ordinary. Hit with the word again, I asked him if he knew what he was saying was wrong and a bad word. He shrugged again and said A (his best friend at school) says it all the time. Read more at Kids Stop Press…

When you believe your child’s behavior is being negatively influenced by their friends, you need to address it immediately. As someone wisely observed: “What you do not correct you affirm.”

How can you tell if your child has a bad friend? Or if someone around them is a bad influence? How can you make the best judgment about your child’s friends? These are all important questions, which the following post examines:

What’s a parent to do if your child is hanging out with kids you don’t approve of, whose values and upbringing don’t match your own? You want to give him the freedom to choose his friends, without throwing his values, morals and convictions out of the window. It’s a tough dilemma that you’re bound to face, sooner or later.

Here are some tips for navigating the road ahead.

#1 Don’t judge a book by its cover

Get to know your child’s friend. Don’t base your judgment on first impressions. He might seem rowdy and violent, but that could be more a sign of a high energy personality and boredom than an innate desire to wreak havoc or cause bodily harm. She might talk a lot about boys, not because she’s into them (at the tender age of four) but because her teenage big sister is always talking about her latest crush. Conversely, kids who appear clean and innocent may be masking inner turmoil and deep-rooted issues. Read more at The New Age Parent…

One of the best ways to evaluate the character and quality of your child’s friends is to invite them to visit your home. Close interactions will help you assess the peers your son or daughter is hanging out with. You will then be in a better position to make informed decisions about the friendship.

To keep from focusing on the negative, you should acquaint yourself with what a good friend for your child will look like. Here is one mother’s helpful description:

What Makes a Good Friend — 10 Signs Your Child’s Friend is a Good Influence

After my daughter Chloe went through a particularly difficult friendship with a girl who turned out to be a bully, I’ve thought a lot about what makes a good friend for my children. I am so thankful for the friends who have been good influences in my children’s lives. I’m not just grateful for the friendship, I’m grateful for the examples they have set and the way they help my daughters to be their best selves.

I’ve found that the signs that your child has a good friend are often the exact opposite of the signs that a friend might be a bully or a person who ends up bringing your child down. Read more at Overstuffed Life…

Clearly, it is important for your child to be surrounded by the right influences from an early age. It is not hyperbole to state that enrollment in a great preschool can set your child on a path that leads to life-long success.

At Spanish for fun!, our innovative immersion program teaches children to speak Spanish and appreciate the culture. We strive to instill the values of empathy and multiculturism in our students. We provide them with a global understanding of life and promote holistic development of both their cognitive and social skills.

If you are in Raleigh and looking for a preschool that will offer your child the benefits discussed in this post, Spanish for fun! is your best option. We combine the loving care that your child needs with Spanish language education, cultural learning and lots of fun.

Get in touch with us today to schedule a tour of our Raleigh campus. Call 919-881-1160 or complete the form on our website. We look forward to showing you why your child will thrive with us.

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