Busy as people are during the winter holiday season there is an increase in the appreciation of relationships, those of family and friends. As humans have become more aware of how social factors influence health and long life, there has been more attention given to human interactions. Learning how to promote healthy interactions and avoid unhealthy interactions has become a subject of interest for parents, teachers and mental health workers.
Healthychildren.org stresses that friendships are important for children to be safe and successful. Parents have opportunities, even in preschool years, to be present and available when children are playing together. Early play times allows the parent time to observe and to teach ways to share and resolve conflict. As each child is different in their social interactions, shy or outgoing, they will need guidance on how to interact in a positive manner with others.
Children need to learn about making friends with some support or role-modeling about healthy friendships. They need to learn how to manage being angry with friends and to express their anger without verbally or physically hurting others. Learning to share is difficult and, even as adults, sharing is sometimes hard. Caregivers can teach about negotiating, taking turns, asking for permission to play with certain items, and accepting letting go when the negotiations are stalled. Sharing difficulties doesn’t stop when the child is no longer a preschooler.
The internet, particularly through social media, has significantly impacted friendships by allowing people to connect easily across distances. However, it can also lead to less meaningful interactions, increased superficiality and potentially feelings of isolation. This isolation is caused by the lack of face-to-face contact and the pressure to present an idealized version of oneself online. Seeing others’ seemingly perfect lives on social media can lead to feelings of inadequacy impacting self-esteem. This is associated with how easy it is to become a victim of cyberbullying and harassment while feeling inadequate. This is not limited to teenagers
Developing strong, healthy social relationships provides a support systems for your child’s mental and emotional development. Aristotle’s philosophy of friendship is based on a relationship where children and adults mutually like each other, do good for each other, and share goals. Aristotle believed that friendship is built on trust and goodwill.
Caregivers can help children develop social relationships by becoming active in their community. They should encourage their child to try extracurricular activities such as clubs or sports teams. This helps them discover what they enjoy, meet peers with similar interest and develop friendships. Volunteer opportunities at school or the family’s place of worship are another opportunity to meet peers of similar interest, learn to work with others and learn self-confidence.
Recognizing the viewpoints and feelings of others helps children learn to manage their own emotions. Respecting differences also helps children understand themselves and feel value for who they are. Expose children to different cultures and backgrounds with books, movies, music and community events. Treat everyone with kindness.
Loneliness is not healthy at any age.
Happy New Year!
Sally Robinson MD
Dec 2024
Have a healthy, happy New Year.