The Vagabond

Who does not need Friends?

I was shy and introvert, hence grew up almost in isolation. I always had only one or two friends and that too I would take eternity to be friends. I can count them on my finger tips even now. I was different, did not easily mingle with everyone and my refuge was books. So, in my adolescent years and college, I was practically lonely. It took me a long time to break the shell, but old habits die hard and I prefer my solitude to anything else.

In contrast, my child was recently introduced as “Mr popular” of his class in his Grade 5 graduation ceremony. He was just 6 years old when we shifted to Dubai. Believe me, so many of his friends cried when he was leaving Delhi. For the next few months, I would keep getting messages from their moms that their kids miss him.

While a few kids are outgoing and can easily make and sustain friendships, a few who are shy, do need conversations to be initiated.

Friendships are important, whatever the age be. As toddlers and preschoolers they are your playmates.

Once in school, they become the family with whom you start sharing your lunches and your playtime. Soon it becomes a give and take. As we move towards adolescence, where the child is starting to yearn freedom, friends come in handy. They become the companions with whom you chill out, share your worries, your laughters and your secrets which you are scared to tell even your parents. Friendships are important for the social and psychological development of a child.

If your child is shy, do not let him or her lead that isolated life. you can hangout with parents of same age group and let the child slowly explore the companions like him.

As they grow older, they don’t want our interference, yet a parent should always know the child’s friends and their respective families. It is in this age group the peer pressure starts building up and hence one needs to identify the negative and the positive influences.

His best friends birthday or a close family relative marriage ?

Friends or Family First? Should you be forcing your child to choose Friends or a family?

We all might have sometime come across such a situation and I guess most of our age group would have been blackmailed over choosing family.

Some say, “Blood is thicker than water.”

While others say, ” It is a cold world out there, but friends make it a warmer place.”

I believe that we should let a child choose what he wants. A child will always choose where he feels loved and cared. So this decision should whether they want to enjoy a friends birthday party or s family function should be left to them.

All of us know that over the years, most of us will have a friend who’s more than family and few family members who we don’t relish being with. So keep a watchful view, and let your child form friendships which he would remember long after.

I am participating in A2ZChallenge this April and this post is my entry for letter F.