Articles by Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD About Friendship Problems
Fitting In vs Belonging: How to Tell the Difference
These questions can help you find genuine belonging.
When Your Child Has a Domineering Friend
From your child’s perspective, the friendship is working, but as their parent, you can see the obvious downside of giving in all the time.
When Your Child… Gets Teased By a Friend
It can sometimes be hard for children who are very sensitive to be the target of teasing, even if it comes from a friend.
When Your Child… Annoys Other Kids
When it comes to friendship, kids can sometimes be their own worst enemy.
When Your Child’s Best Friend is “Stolen”
For children, the feelings of jealousy and betrayal when a close friend starts spending time with someone else can be as intense as those of teens or adults coping with infidelity.
When You Don’t Like Your Child’s Friend
You may be tempted to forbid your child from hanging out with a friend you don’t like, but there are other options that can help your child learn about navigating relationships.
Overstepping Boundaries: When Your Kid Comes On Too Strong
Some children struggle socially because they frequently overstep personal boundaries, angering peers. Being aware of common boundary violations can help children avoid them.
Why Kids Tattle and What To Do About It
Tattling is one of the most annoying things children do. It’s also extremely common and even an important step in child development.
Childhood Enemies
Just as children experience a continuum of linking from “casual friends” to “best friends,” they also experience a continuum of disliking from “nonfriends” to “worst enemies.”
Why Are Kids So Mean?
Kids who know better and are usually kind to their friends can sometimes act in casually cruel ways when they decide that certain people’s feelings don’t “count.”
The Promise and Perils of Friendship Threesomes
Kids may have more fun playing in threes, but triads can be difficult to navigate. How parents can help.
What To Do When Your Child Does Something Mean
If your child is acting mean, teach her how her actions affect others and how to make more caring choices.
How to Raise a Caring Child
To help children learn to be kind, we need to address some of the barriers that get in the way of making kind choices.
Frenemies
“Frenemies” run hot and cold. They can be fun, exciting, and popular, but they’re also risky, because they can ruthlessly turn on their friends. How can you help your child cope?
Why Do Girls Gossip?
People are interesting. Gossip makes up about two-thirds of the naturally occurring conversations of adult men and women, so it’s unrealistic to expect kids never to gossip.
Popular Kids
Is your child popular? Does he or she want to be? Do you consider popularity an important goal for kids or teens?
Helping Children Who Cry Easily
Is Your Child Inviting Rejection?
Some children regularly act in ways that make it hard for other kids to accept them. Here are some common off-putting behaviors and alternatives.