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Learning to Be a Good Friend
A Guidebook for Kids
By Christine A. Adams, R. W. Alley Abbey Press
Copyright © 2004 Christine A. Adams
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4976-8296-2
CHAPTER 1
What Is Friendship?
"Friendship" means having friends. Everyone needs friendship in his or her life.
A friend is someone you have fun with. You need a friend to hide so that you can find him. You need a friend to hit the ball so you can catch it. Your friends often like the same things as you—maybe tennis or dinosaurs or Cub Scouts.
You can play with friends just about anywhere—in your house, in your neighborhood, at school recess, or on a sports team.
Having a friend makes you feel happy inside. It's nice to care about someone and know that he cares about you, too!
Choosing a Friend
Katie and Grace go to dance class together on Wednesdays. They both like to play house and dress their dolls in different clothes. Choose a friend who likes what you like.
Stay away from kids who do bad things—like making fun of other kids, being mean to animals, or telling lies. They can really get you into trouble. Just being around a mean kid—even if you're not doing anything bad—can get you in trouble sometimes.
How to Make Friends
Be friendly—say hi and smile. Tell a kid who seems nice that his social studies project is cool. See if he wants to play with you and what he'd like to play.
If you see kids playing a game, and a kid makes a good move, say, "Nice shot." Wait until the game slows down and then ask to play.
Always have a "fun attitude." Grab a ball and say, "Who wants to play?" If no one does, just go on to something else. Soon others might join you.
If you're shy, these things can be hard to do. Ask God to give you a "boost" of bravery. Making friends is worth it!
Playing on a Team
Ask your mom or dad if you can play on a sports team. Being a part of a team is a great way to find friends.
Be a "good sport" by doing your best for the team, and letting other kids play their own positions. If a kid misses a pitch, a goal, or a basket, don't make fun. Just say, "Nice try."
Ask your parents if one of your new friends can come over to your house sometime to play with you.
How to Be a Friend
To have friends, you need to BE a friend. This means sharing, taking turns, and being fair. Treat your friends the way you want to be treated.
If you want to jump on the trampoline but your friend wants to play whiffleball, maybe you could play ball for fifteen minutes and then do the trampoline.
Do nice things for your friend. If she falls on the trampoline, say, "Are you all right?" and help her up. If she misses some words on the spelling test, tell her she'll do better next time.
How to Keep Friends
If you tell your friend you'll save a place for him at lunch, be sure to do it. Keeping promises is an important part of friendship.
If someone says something mean about your friend, stick up for him. If you hurt your friend in some way, say you're sorry and try to make it up to him.
If you and your friend don't agree about something, try to talk about it without getting mad. Really listen to your friend, so you can feel what he is feeling. See if the two of you can come up with a plan that works for both of you.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Learning to Be a Good Friend by Christine A. Adams, R. W. Alley. Copyright © 2004 Christine A. Adams. Excerpted by permission of Abbey Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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