 Emotional support › Reassurance, acceptance, understanding  Models for imitation › Teach social and emotional skills  Opportunities to practice roles › Time for growth and new experiences

 Most teens find it easier to be friends with the same age and the same interests › Don’t miss out on opportunities to be friends with children; they look up to teens › Children want to imitate teens › You as a teen can learn responsibility to understand their needs and how to meet them.

 Male to male › Tend to share interests and activities with friends  Opposite gender friendships › Can help see issues from that gender’s point of view  Female to female › Like to share personal concerns and emotional intimate feeling

 Adult friendships › Older adults offer benefits of their experiences as well as personal friendships. › They can help put your problems into proper perspective and you as a teen can give them companionship  Other backgrounds › Can bring insights and information that you might not normally encounter

 This can be difficult when the following are a factor: › Shy › Low self-esteem › Lack of experience

 You need to realize that you are worthy of being a friend; you have qualities and abilities that people will appreciate  You may fear rejection when taking the first step  Realize that nothing is lost by trying  Keep trying until you find what works for you

 Smile  Speak first  Introduce yourself  Ask simple questions to get things started  Give sincere compliments  Focus on others instead of yourself

 Friendly and cheerful  Courteous  Clean, neat, well- groomed  Interest in other people  A good listener  Easy to get along with  Good sense of humor

 Part-time job  Community events  Community centers  Become a volunteer  School functions  Develop a new interest  Join a team

 Oldest and strongest friendships require the most work › Tend to take each other for granted › You become less kind and considerate › Accept friends › Encourage friends in their goals/praise them › Apologize when you hurt friends › Be loyal, reliable and share with each other

 Mutual give and take in the relationship  Does not mean that you will always agree on everything with your friend  Honesty is also an important part of friendship  Need to respect each other and accept difference of opinions

 Peer pressure – attempt to influence someone in a similar age group › May be positive or negative › True friends do not ask a friend to do something that they are uncomfortable with › No one can make you do something you do not want to do  When you want to be accepted and are sensitive to criticism this becomes difficult

 Handling peer pressure › High self esteem helps to see proper perspective  Competition › Can be healthy or hazardous  Popularity – to be liked and accepted by many › Develop positive traits and care about others › Don’t worry about trying to be popular

 Loneliness › Do not have to be alone to be lonely › “Giving in” to these feelings increases the feeling › Friendships is sharing weaknesses as well as strengths › Loneliness must be overcome with action › Feel afraid others will not accept them  This causes them to withdraw

 Groups that become exclusive, deliberately rejecting people  May scorn or ignore others outside the clique  Can cause hurt feelings

 Happens because people grow and change  The friends have less in common

 If a friendship is causing you trouble/affecting your life… › End the friendship  When specific problems occur… › Deal directly with the friend  Break off a friendship with tact and concern › Express feelings without blaming or judging the other person

 Feel sad  Feel lonely  Maybe guilty or blame self  Time helps lessen pain

Do you have the qualities of a good friend?