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- $Unique_ID{BRK00144}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{How Can You Encourage a Shy Child to Make Friends?}
- $Subject{shyness teenagers treatment Mental Emotional Conditions condition Shy
- Child care Friend Friends teenager teenage teen teens relationship
- relationships friendship friendships}
- $Volume{S-23}
- $Log{}
-
- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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- How Can You Encourage a Shy Child to Make Friends?
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- QUESTION: My son has always been on the shy side. Now that he's getting into
- his teenage years, I am afraid that he will have trouble making friends or
- that he'll fall in with the wrong crowd. How can I encourage him to make the
- right kind of friends?
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- ANSWER: It is very important for teenagers to have relationships with others.
- They need friends with goals, such as education, a good career and
- self-sufficiency.
- I think it's wise for you to become involved in his friendships, without
- prying too much. Help him to meet appropriate friends by carefully choosing a
- school and encouraging him to join organizations that would give him
- constructive peers. You should encourage his friendships by inviting him to
- have friends over to dinner. If you go on vacation, and you can afford it,
- allow him to invite a friend along.
- If your efforts fail to help him to make friends, speak to his teachers.
- Perhaps they can assign group projects that will make him work in a
- cooperative venture with others his age. Such cooperative learning can be
- very constructive because it teaches responsibility and allows students to
- participate in group decision making.
- Make sure your efforts are supportive and not condemning in nature, and
- you may soon see the positive results you are hoping for.
-
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-
- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
-