Photo: pigtheday / Flickr

Every parent thinks that their child is brilliant and it’s hard when you realize that others are not as taken to their personality as you are. If your child struggles to make friends, as a parent, as much as you wish you can shield them from social difficulties, this is one area where you cannot directly interfere on their behalf. This does not mean that there is nothing you can do to help solve the problem, though.

Why can’t my child make any friends?

There are many reasons why children may not get on with their peers. Many kids are shy, and they may hesitate to take part in social activities or comment on what is happening around them. On the other hand, a highly intelligent child may also struggle to make friends. Your child may have a better grasp of verbal language then others and this can make it difficult for other children to understand them. If your child has a learning disability, he or she may have a low self-esteem, which could prevent them from socializing with others.

What you can do as a parent

The first thing is to teach your child to be patient as social skills take a life time to develop and master. It is also good to set realistic goals for and with your child for example, to gain one new friend with whom your child can be comfortable with as opposed to ten new friends by the end of the year. If your child is not very active, a good way of making friends is to get them involved in an extra-curricular activities – this will also boost your child’s confidence and self-esteem.

There are many ways to encourage your child to become more socially active and outgoing, but what you should never do is force your child into anything they do not want to do. Forcing your child to play with someone else will only make them more uncomfortable and unwilling to participate on a social level.

Tags: children, friends, Parenting