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We all remember our first childhood friend. The one we woke up excited to see inside the school gates. Play dates filled with adventure, fun, and laughter.

Even now, as adults, our friends remain a hugely important part of our lives, from sharing problems, asking for advice, uncontrollable laughter and good times, sharing our life events and proudest moments, our friends help each of us define who we are.

For children, making friends is a vital part of growing up and an essential part of their social and emotional development. Attributes such as social competence, altruism, self-esteem, and self-confidence have all been found to be positively correlated to having friends. Studies have found that friendships enable children to learn more about themselves and develop their own identity. And, as children mature, friends are able to help reduce stress and navigate challenging developmental experiences, especially during teenage years.

But it is not only the social and emotional benefits; friends can positively influence children's health. Studies have shown that children who played frequently with active friends were far less likely to mention barriers for not exercising, such as low self-esteem, feeling self-conscious or lack of enjoyment.

However, it is not always easy for children to know how to manage friendships and learning how to keep and make new friends involves a number of skills young children need to learn and develop. For some children these skills come very naturally, easily moving to and from friendship groups, sharing their experiences and opening up to new people.

For others, the world of friendships can be much harder to navigate.

It is beneficial for children to manage and build their own relationships, even though as parents and carers we may want to take responsibility or interfere. But there are ways we can help our children navigate friendships, become more confident and help to build and develop their social skills.

Help your child to develop positive social skills from an early age. Help them to understand the importance of sharing, taking someone else's feelings into account and listening to each other. These can be supported by organising plenty of opportunities for your child to meet lots of different people

Demonstrate to your child how friendships work by letting them see how you behave with your friends

Help your child find other children with similar interests, such as through a swimming club, dance class, footy team or theatre group - children choose friends based on similar and shared hobbies

For older children who may be feeling shy or anxious offer them some icebreakers to start conversations with others and role-play what they may say to someone

Help them to find new areas of interest or help to boost their confidence in everyday situations.

Childhood friendships are full of ups and downs. Sometimes you might be faced with your child falling out with their friend. Arguments are a natural part of friendships, however, sometimes it can be hard for children and young people to manage and understand them. Sometimes these conflicts many seem small and trivial to us, but can knock a child's confidence and they blame themselves.

If your child has fallen out with a friend take some time to have a conversation with them about how they feel and how their friend might be feeling. Share some advice and help them to understand that there are always ups and downs in friendships. Offer some next steps and follow up when they get back from school.

Building good friendships

Make a booking enquiry today and your send your child's school on a trip on Harold's Friend Ship - a specially designed module exploring the qualities of a good friend.
Harold's Friend Ship

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Even now, as adults, our friends remain a hugely important part of our lives, from sharing problems, asking for advice, uncontrollable laughter and good times, sharing our life events and proudest moments, our friends help each of us define who we are.

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Adolescence is often panned in parenting circles as a season of child-rearing that is fraught with challenges and frustration. Gone is the child you thought you knew, and in his place stands an awkward, often unhappy stranger who understands himself and his own motivations about as well as you do, which is to say hardly at all.

As a parent, you feel the sharp sting of having been replaced as his world now revolves around his friends instead of his family. You loved him so much that you changed his dirty diapers, sacrificed your own desires for his private school tuition or a brand-new guitar, and cherished every moment of his young life, even the really hard ones. And now he stands before you with a blank expression worn like a mask as he awaits your decision as to whether he can indeed borrow your car on Friday night. He no longer clings to your skirt and demands attention from you. His friends are his life now, and his family is perhaps a distant second on his priority list.

Oh, the bittersweet heart wrenching that takes places as our children forge ahead in life without us.

But here's some good news for you. For all of that time spent with his friends, there's some new evidence showing that these adolescent friendships aren't just for fun. They may have a profound impact on your child's well-being for at least the next decade. And while it might not erase all of your anguish, this knowledge may smooth a little salve over those wounds you're nursing.
Close friendships in adolescence protect mental health in adulthood
A recent study published in Child Development indicates that the presence of a close friendship in adolescence has far-reaching implications for the next decade of a person's life. Teenagers who nurtured a close friendship were less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety in their mid-twenties and experienced a greater sense of self-worth. This study seems to indicate that having a close friendship in adolescence offers a sort of protection against many of the common mental health issues faced by young adults.

It's interesting to note, though, that this benefit to a person's mental health doesn't occur when you look at the person's broader appeal to their peer group. The more friends a person has is actually associated with an increase in social anxiety. The significance of adolescent friendships seems to lie not in the number of friends a person has, but in the strength of a close friendship. Popularity isn't important; it's the true knowing and being known by another person that provides a teen with critical life skills that will serve him well for years to come.
What you can do to facilitate your teen's friendships
How do we procure this friendship benefit for our kids? Well, we can't exactly. But we can teach our kids some important social skills and foster an environment that will help them make and maintain friendships.

Here are a few suggestions:

Help your child become involved in extracurricular or community activities if they are having trouble forming friendships. Getting involved in something they like to do will help them find others with similar interests.

Encourage them to strike up a conversation with new people. Teach them how to ask questions to get to know someone and share of themselves as well.

Explain the importance of communicating openly.

Talk to them about listening and sharing equally. Talk about listening closely and maintaining eye contact when a friend is sharing something about themselves as well as offering support, encouragement and positive feedback to this friend.

Have your teen spend time thinking about the qualities that are important to them in a friendship. Identifying what they value in a friend will help them make choices about the people they spend time with.

Explain some of the responsibilities that come along with a friendship- respect for the other person, keeping information confidential, facing conflict and working through problems.

Perhaps most importantly, give your teen the freedom and the encouragement they need to go out and have fun with their friends. Recognize that this time with friends is something they truly need and give them the opportunity to pursue it.

(adapted from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
So now that you know that your teen's friendships aren't vain and meaningless and sought after for the sole purpose of annoying you, you might be better able to help your child pursue and maintain healthy friendships. While we may all prefer that our kids, no matter their age, snuggle up with us for movie night on the couch every Friday night, we'll sacrifice one more thing for their benefit as we send them out the door with their friends.

They may not know enough yet to appreciate our support, but perhaps one day they'll understand what it took for us to give it. Not today, but maybe one day.

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Why your teenager's friendships are more important than you realize

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Adolescence is often panned in parenting circles as a season of child-rearing that is fraught with challenges and frustration. Gone is the child you thought you knew, and in his place stands an awkward, often unhappy stranger who understands himself and his own motivations about as well as you do, which is to say hardly at all.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Adolescence is often panned in parenting circles as a season of child-rearing that is fraught with challenges and frustration. Gone is the child you thought you knew, and in his place stands an awkward, often unhappy stranger who understands himself and his own motivations about as well as you do, which is to say hardly at all.

As a parent, you feel the sharp sting of having been replaced as his world now revolves around his friends instead of his family. You loved him so much that you changed his dirty diapers, sacrificed your own desires for his private school tuition or a brand-new guitar, and cherished every moment of his young life, even the really hard ones. And now he stands before you with a blank expression worn like a mask as he awaits your decision as to whether he can indeed borrow your car on Friday night. He no longer clings to your skirt and demands attention from you. His friends are his life now, and his family is perhaps a distant second on his priority list.

Oh, the bittersweet heart wrenching that takes places as our children forge ahead in life without us.

But here's some good news for you. For all of that time spent with his friends, there's some new evidence showing that these adolescent friendships aren't just for fun. They may have a profound impact on your child's well-being for at least the next decade. And while it might not erase all of your anguish, this knowledge may smooth a little salve over those wounds you're nursing.
Close friendships in adolescence protect mental health in adulthood
A recent study published in Child Development indicates that the presence of a close friendship in adolescence has far-reaching implications for the next decade of a person's life. Teenagers who nurtured a close friendship were less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety in their mid-twenties and experienced a greater sense of self-worth. This study seems to indicate that having a close friendship in adolescence offers a sort of protection against many of the common mental health issues faced by young adults.

It's interesting to note, though, that this benefit to a person's mental health doesn't occur when you look at the person's broader appeal to their peer group. The more friends a person has is actually associated with an increase in social anxiety. The significance of adolescent friendships seems to lie not in the number of friends a person has, but in the strength of a close friendship. Popularity isn't important; it's the true knowing and being known by another person that provides a teen with critical life skills that will serve him well for years to come.
What you can do to facilitate your teen's friendships
How do we procure this friendship benefit for our kids? Well, we can't exactly. But we can teach our kids some important social skills and foster an environment that will help them make and maintain friendships.

Here are a few suggestions:

Help your child become involved in extracurricular or community activities if they are having trouble forming friendships. Getting involved in something they like to do will help them find others with similar interests.

Encourage them to strike up a conversation with new people. Teach them how to ask questions to get to know someone and share of themselves as well.

Explain the importance of communicating openly.

Talk to them about listening and sharing equally. Talk about listening closely and maintaining eye contact when a friend is sharing something about themselves as well as offering support, encouragement and positive feedback to this friend.

Have your teen spend time thinking about the qualities that are important to them in a friendship. Identifying what they value in a friend will help them make choices about the people they spend time with.

Explain some of the responsibilities that come along with a friendship- respect for the other person, keeping information confidential, facing conflict and working through problems.

Perhaps most importantly, give your teen the freedom and the encouragement they need to go out and have fun with their friends. Recognize that this time with friends is something they truly need and give them the opportunity to pursue it.

(adapted from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
So now that you know that your teen's friendships aren't vain and meaningless and sought after for the sole purpose of annoying you, you might be better able to help your child pursue and maintain healthy friendships. While we may all prefer that our kids, no matter their age, snuggle up with us for movie night on the couch every Friday night, we'll sacrifice one more thing for their benefit as we send them out the door with their friends.

They may not know enough yet to appreciate our support, but perhaps one day they'll understand what it took for us to give it. Not today, but maybe one day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why your teenager's friendships are more important than you realize

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Adolescence is often panned in parenting circles as a season of child-rearing that is fraught with challenges and frustration. Gone is the child you thought you knew, and in his place stands an awkward, often unhappy stranger who understands himself and his own motivations about as well as you do, which is to say hardly at all.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Adolescence is often panned in parenting circles as a season of child-rearing that is fraught with challenges and frustration. Gone is the child you thought you knew, and in his place stands an awkward, often unhappy stranger who understands himself and his own motivations about as well as you do, which is to say hardly at all.

As a parent, you feel the sharp sting of having been replaced as his world now revolves around his friends instead of his family. You loved him so much that you changed his dirty diapers, sacrificed your own desires for his private school tuition or a brand-new guitar, and cherished every moment of his young life, even the really hard ones. And now he stands before you with a blank expression worn like a mask as he awaits your decision as to whether he can indeed borrow your car on Friday night. He no longer clings to your skirt and demands attention from you. His friends are his life now, and his family is perhaps a distant second on his priority list.

Oh, the bittersweet heart wrenching that takes places as our children forge ahead in life without us.

But here's some good news for you. For all of that time spent with his friends, there's some new evidence showing that these adolescent friendships aren't just for fun. They may have a profound impact on your child's well-being for at least the next decade. And while it might not erase all of your anguish, this knowledge may smooth a little salve over those wounds you're nursing.
Close friendships in adolescence protect mental health in adulthood
A recent study published in Child Development indicates that the presence of a close friendship in adolescence has far-reaching implications for the next decade of a person's life. Teenagers who nurtured a close friendship were less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety in their mid-twenties and experienced a greater sense of self-worth. This study seems to indicate that having a close friendship in adolescence offers a sort of protection against many of the common mental health issues faced by young adults.

It's interesting to note, though, that this benefit to a person's mental health doesn't occur when you look at the person's broader appeal to their peer group. The more friends a person has is actually associated with an increase in social anxiety. The significance of adolescent friendships seems to lie not in the number of friends a person has, but in the strength of a close friendship. Popularity isn't important; it's the true knowing and being known by another person that provides a teen with critical life skills that will serve him well for years to come.
What you can do to facilitate your teen's friendships
How do we procure this friendship benefit for our kids? Well, we can't exactly. But we can teach our kids some important social skills and foster an environment that will help them make and maintain friendships.

Here are a few suggestions:

Help your child become involved in extracurricular or community activities if they are having trouble forming friendships. Getting involved in something they like to do will help them find others with similar interests.

Encourage them to strike up a conversation with new people. Teach them how to ask questions to get to know someone and share of themselves as well.

Explain the importance of communicating openly.

Talk to them about listening and sharing equally. Talk about listening closely and maintaining eye contact when a friend is sharing something about themselves as well as offering support, encouragement and positive feedback to this friend.

Have your teen spend time thinking about the qualities that are important to them in a friendship. Identifying what they value in a friend will help them make choices about the people they spend time with.

Explain some of the responsibilities that come along with a friendship- respect for the other person, keeping information confidential, facing conflict and working through problems.

Perhaps most importantly, give your teen the freedom and the encouragement they need to go out and have fun with their friends. Recognize that this time with friends is something they truly need and give them the opportunity to pursue it.

(adapted from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
So now that you know that your teen's friendships aren't vain and meaningless and sought after for the sole purpose of annoying you, you might be better able to help your child pursue and maintain healthy friendships. While we may all prefer that our kids, no matter their age, snuggle up with us for movie night on the couch every Friday night, we'll sacrifice one more thing for their benefit as we send them out the door with their friends.

They may not know enough yet to appreciate our support, but perhaps one day they'll understand what it took for us to give it. Not today, but maybe one day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why your teenager's friendships are more important than you realize

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Adolescence is often panned in parenting circles as a season of child-rearing that is fraught with challenges and frustration. Gone is the child you thought you knew, and in his place stands an awkward, often unhappy stranger who understands himself and his own motivations about as well as you do, which is to say hardly at all.

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At 77, Claire McGinnis has an enviable social life: monthly dinners and annual holiday parties with various groups of friends, trips to New York City with coworkers, cruises and getaways with neighbors. Needless to say, her calendar is always full.

And that's exactly how this lifelong social butterfly likes it. Being with friends isn't just fun for Claire - it's also essential to her well-being. "There's nothing like having a friend in your life," she says. "I think it's so good for your health - no matter how old you are."

Of course, forging new friendships during your golden years may require a little extra effort. As you get older, common life changes such as the loss of a spouse, loss of hearing or vision, retirement, and issues with health and mobility can take their toll on your social life and, by extension, your well-being. Loneliness has been linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline, dementia and depression. It also has been linked to heart disease, stroke and blood pressure. In fact, one 2015 study famously concluded that a lack of social connections was as damaging to a person's health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Bottom line? Friends are essential.
Good for the mind and body
That friendships improve physical and mental health isn't news to John Moore, DO, an Aetna medical director and senior health specialist. During his 17 years of practice, he saw a marked difference in the health outcomes of older patients who were socially active compared to those who weren't. The difference was especially clear among people who had complex, chronic conditions like diabetes or emphysema and had to stick to a daily regimen of medications and healthy routines.

"Patients who were socially engaged tended to have better outcomes despite their complex conditions," says Dr. Moore. "They could have diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, or all three things, and still be doing better because of their improved mental health, their regular social activities, and their dedication to taking care of themselves so that they could continue their regular social activities."

Research supports his observations. Just as loneliness can hurt our health, friendships can actually improve it in far-reaching (and sometimes surprising) ways. Studies have found socializing can strengthen the immune system. It can help us recover more quickly from illness, lower blood pressure and the risk of heart disease, sharpen memory and help us even get a better night's sleep. Socializing can also improve our odds of living longer. According to one study, people with strong connections to family and friends have a 50% greater chance of outliving those with fewer social ties.

What's more, friends can motivate us to adopt healthy habits. That's what Marshall Cummings found when he began working out with buddies he made at the gym. "One day, I met a man in the locker room who used to be a gymnast when he was younger, and we hit it off," says the 67-year-old New Jersey resident. "He gave me pointers on working out, and one day a week we'd do supersets together. That's when you do three exercises in a row without stopping. I also started lifting more weight because some other friends encouraged me to. I was lifting more than I ever would have on my own." (Learn more about Marshall's journey to better health here.)

Friends can also help you keep your health on track, says Dr. Moore. "It's friends and family who care about you and remind you of things you need to do, like a mammogram or colonoscopy or yearly physicals or eye exams," he says. "They may also notice when you're developing hearing or vision loss or need a walker or cane. And you may not even realize that until they point it out to you."
Making new connections
When it comes to building a social circle, experts suggest finding people who are supportive and share your interests. Here are some good ways to meet new people:

Volunteer. Pitching in to help others isn't just good for your community - it's also a chance to get out of the house and enjoy face-to-face interaction. Read more about the health benefits of volunteering and some suggestions on how to get started.

Take a class. Whether you've always wanted to learn how to speak Italian or improve your piano playing skills, a class can give your brain a workout and introduce you to potential study buddies. You can frequently find classes by searching online for topics that interest you. If you're not sure where to get started, check out local organizations such as the YMCA to see what kind of classes they provide.

Join a gym. Claire McGinnis credits her local gym with keeping her fit and introducing her to a host of new friends. The women meet once a month for lunch and get together every Christmas to celebrate. (Some health care plans include a no-cost membership to a participating gym or fitness location. Check your plan to see if you're eligible.)

Get moving. If the gym's not your scene, try an activity that will get you out of the house and moving around. Dr. Moore recommends seniors do aerobic exercise three times a week, ideally with a friend. "Take a dance class, go bowling, play golf - do something where you're having a good time and engaging with others," he says.

Get involved with your faith community. If you're religious, check out events happening at your local place of worship. Many offer social gatherings designed specifically for seniors.

Tap into social media. Sites like Facebook can help you find and reconnect with old friends.

Get a part-time job. Besides keeping your skills sharp, a gig can provide you with an important social outlet.

Keeping friendships alive
Nurturing friendships take effort at any age. To keep yours in good order, it helps to make socializing part of your routine. Claire, for example, regularly texts or calls friends to say she's thinking about them. She's also a big fan of setting up the next get-together when she's on the first one and believes in establishing standing dates. For instance, she has lunch with a friend from high school every three months, and five times a year attends Philly Pops performances with her husband and another couple.

Socializing is also a top priority for Marshall. After retiring to a town about a half-hour away from his family, friends have become his main source of support. He regularly has lunch or dinner with people from his old job and occasionally vacations with a close friend or two. "Even though I depend a lot on myself," he says, "sometimes I do need that friend to call me up and tell me to get my behind up and go outside, to be more active."

"You know, I think if you've got one good friend in your life, you're a blessed person," he adds. "Because that person will be with you through thick and thin. They'll say, 'I'll be there for you.'"

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At 77, Claire McGinnis has an enviable social life: monthly dinners and annual holiday parties with various groups of friends, trips to New York City with coworkers, cruises and getaways with neighbors. Needless to say, her calendar is always full. And that's exactly how this lifelong social butterfly likes it.

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Teenagers who nurtured a close friendship were less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety in their mid-twenties and experienced a greater sense of self-worth.

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- Good for the mind and body
- Making new connections

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-they can protect you on some mental health in childhood

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1. improve physical and mental health
2. Good for your memory
3. strengthen our immune system, help us recover more quickly from illness, sharpen our memory and even help us live longer

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- Good for cooperate (2 company and 2 boss are friend so can cooperate easier)

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- The influence of a group of close friends will bring positive energy or negative will lead to negative consequences.
- If you have friends you will be easier to do group work, too.
- Friendship is important because when we have feelings that we can share we can share with our classmates/friends, and when we have friends we feel cared for.

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- For children, making friends is a vital part of growing up and an essential part of their social and emotional development.
- Friendships enable children to learn more about themselves and develop their own identity.

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Close friendships in adolescence protect mental health in adulthood.

Have a profound impact on teenagers' well-being for at least the next decade.

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Friendship is important because when we have feelings that we can share we can share with our classmates/friends, and when we have friends we feel cared for.

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1.easy on work
2,Have a long relationships