THE STRAITS TIMES TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017
bigonkindness
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What kind of friend are you? With International Friendship Day just around the corner, take this test and find out how much you know about being a good friend. By Jeffrey Ang ILLUSTRATIONS: SINGAPORE CHILDREN'S SOCIETY
1
An important piece of homework is due tomorrow. One of your best friends has forgotten to complete it, and has asked to copy the answers from you. What do you do? A. Avoid phone calls or any contact with this friend for the rest of the day. B. Let him copy your homework, and tell him he owes you a favour. C. Say you cannot let him copy your work, but offer to work on it together with him.
2
A new classmate has just been transferred to your school. He always keeps to himself and spends break time alone. What do you do? A. Pretend not to see him because you do not want to be seen hanging out with an unpopular person. B. Decide that he prefers to be alone, and give him space. C. Start a conversation with him, and invite him to sit with your friends.
3
It is 11pm, and you receive a call from a good friend, who has never called you at such a late hour. What do you do? A. Switch your phone to silent mode. B. Ignore the call but send him a message saying that you will call him tomorrow. C. Answer the call because he must have a very good reason for calling you so late.
4
Your best friend is in a bad mood because he is experiencing family problems. You try to talk to him but, instead, he lashes out at you and says some harsh words. What do you do? A. Get upset because you are only trying to be nice. B. Leave him alone, and hope he will feel better soon. C. Keep trying to get through to him, and assure him that you are there for him.
AND HERE ARE THE RESULTS... If you have chosen mostly option A: You are a friend who does not look too deeply into why things happen. Tip: Put yourself in other people’s shoes and learn to understand why your friends do certain things. You will soon gain a deeper understanding of them. If you have chosen mostly option B: You are a friend who does not like to confront uneasy situations. Tip: Real friendship is about doing what is best for your friends. If you are open and sincere with your friends, you may be able to take that friendship to a deeper level. If you have chosen option C: Congratulations! You are a caring and understanding friend. Tip: You know how to empathise with others, and good friends will treat you as well as you treat them. Do not forget to be as good to yourself as you are to others. Your friends are lucky to have you! Not sure what to do in certain situations? You can approach Tinkle Friend.
WHAT IS TINKLE FRIEND? Tinkle Friend is a toll-free helpline and online chat for primary school students to share about anything under the sun. Helpline: 1800-2744-788 Monday to Friday: 2.30pm to 5pm Online chat: www.tinklefriend.com Monday to Friday: 2.30pm to 5.30pm Every Wednesday evening: 6.30pm to 8.30pm
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Share with Tinkle Friend who your international friends are! Your submission can be in a form of a picture, drawings, or poems. Send them to tinklefriend@childrensociety.org.sg Your submission will be featured on the Tinkle Friend website.