Back to School Making Friends

Making friends is a big part of school life. Some friends are good for having a giggle with, while others are great for sharing hobbies or interests with. Friends can also be the people you trust the most with your thoughts and feelings. The number of friends you have isn’t important. What matters is having friends you feel close to, who can support you and who won’t try to

Making friends isn’t always easy, especially if you’re a bit shy or you’re a young carer and don’t have much time. But don’t worry, there are some top tips on page 13 to hopefully make things a little easier.

Share

Lots of friendships start because people have things in common, such as liking the same music, football team or books. Keep an eye (or ear!) out for people who have similar hobbies or interests to you. They might be good people to start friendships with. You could also try sharing some of your favourite songs, TV programmes or books with others too. They can be great ways to start conversations.

Ask and Listen ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Questions are a good way to start a conversation with someone new. Ask someone questions about them to show you’re interested. You could also ask them questions about their favourite things.

It’s also important to listen. A good listener lets the other person have their turn to talk. Try not to get distracted by other things while they’re talking and try to add something to the conversation when they’ve nished to show you’ve listened.

Body Language

As well as communicating with our words, we can also use our body language. Using positive body language can help when making friends. Smile while you talk to people, speak clearly and con dently, look people in the eye and try not to cover your mouth with your hands when you speak.

You can also show them you’re listening by nodding your head or saying things such as ‘OK’ or ‘Yeah, I like those things too’.

Compliments

Being complimented can be a great feeling. It also feels good to compliment someone else. Telling someone else you like their hairstyle, clothes, skills or sense of humour can help build a stronger friendship.

Remember, if you’re feeling anxious or worried about going back to school or starting a new school, talk to your parents or carers so they can try to help

Leah, age 6, has awarded herself the World Cup in this terri c Trophy Colouring! There’s barely any white space, which is what we like to see. Great work, Leah!