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what
parents
can do i t may be difficult for tweens and teens to strike a balance between the need to belong, pursuing popularity, and establishing a small group of healthy friendships, which is exactly where parents can help. open communication
and empathy combined with firm parenting may be just what your child
needs to successfully navigate this journey. ? communication is key. being open and receptive to talking with your child will build a good foundation of open communication. gresham and dr. martin both agree that open lines of communication and support are key. ?be supportive but firm on rules and expectations,? says dr. martin. parents may need to remind kids about personal values and reinforce the qualities of healthy relationships. ? build confidence. during this time, adolescents are seeking to find balance between fitting in and being a unique individual. according to gresham, parents can support this by reinforcing their families? values and encouraging children to pursue their own unique interests. she continues, ?confidence grows when parents become actively interested in their child?s interests.? ? focus on quality not quantity. without question, parents want their children to be happy, and happiness is often equated with friends. studies suggest that the amount of friends a child has does not matter, but the quality of the relationships does. dr. choate says, ?parents should not spend their time encouraging their children to be popular.? instead, she suggests, ?a few kids who are authentic friends are far more valuable to a child?s development than forced friends who are superficial and based on social status.? and gresham agrees, ?remind them of the power of quality over quantity.? ? ? ? a u g u s t 2 0 1 8 | b r p a r e n t s . c o m 6 3
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