Friendships at School Start With Love at Home

If children live with love and acceptance, then friendships will come easier into their lives.  I  had to remind myself of that advice when my young daughter, an only child, came to me one day with longing in her eyes and cried, “Mommy, I need friends!”  My heart ached at that moment.  I thought about her starting school for the first time and wondered how she would relate to all the new faces.  In addition to play dates and group activities with other children, I knew  that the best thing I can do is to teach her at  home what love looks like.  Children learn what love is by the actions they see, words they hear, and by what parents say.

Seeing Love.  We as parents need to model how to be a friend by greeting new people kindly or helping other friends in need.  Children must see a show of empathy and to have those feelings explained so that they understand what other people are going through.  Let’s remember that love is not a feeling; it is an action, and feelings follow action.

Hearing Love.  No one is perfect.  So we should work to avoid critism and complaints.  Instead, let’s encourage our children to improve those things in their character that needs change while appreciating those qualities that make them unique.  It would help for kids to have a healthy sense of humor about themself.

Speaking Love.  We need to say “I love you” often.  It is so important that words of affirmation are said about our children’s talents, skills, and personal attributes so that they live with a feeling of acceptance.

It is love that makes us the salt of the earth.  Adding more salt increases a substance’s ability to attract more water.  So, adding more love in the lives of our children grooms their character in a positive way that will attract good friends into thier lives.