Tween friendships are more complicated than those in preschool and early grade school. For younger kids, it is a clear cut case of “I like you” or “I don’t like you” with nothing in between. Fights can easily be put aside; enemies can go back to being friends in a matter of seconds. In the tween years (ages 8 to 12), however, friendships become more personal. When something happens among friends, they get hurt. It can affect them to the point of even ruining the friendship, sometimes beyond repair.

As a parent, how do you help your kids gain and maintain friends? For starters, check out these tips.


(First published as "Can You be My Friend" in the "Good Family" section of Good Housekeeping Philippines' June 2010 issue. Adapted for use in FemaleNetwork. Photo by rt Jessen via Flickr Creative Commons)