Miss MaeLeigh’s Imaginarium

Miss MaeLeigh’s Imaginarium

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In the words of the great Miss Frizzle, “Take chances! Make mistakes! Get messy!” That’s who we are!

01/25/2025

How are you teaching your kids to be a good friend?

You don’t have to lie or pretend to like something you don’t, but it’s also not necessary to loudly declare our dislike for someone else’s favorite things—especially when we’re trying to build friendships. 

My son is six, and I wish we’d started practicing this earlier, around the time his logic skills began developing at age four. Social and conversational skills—the kind we need to make friends and build relationships—aren’t always innate. They can be taught, practiced, and refined.

One important lesson I want to instill with my kids: If you want to have quality friendships, you need to *be* a quality friend. Part of that means supporting your friends’ interests, even if they’re not your personal favorites.

If I had daughters, I’d practice this with them, too. But as a mom to sons, I’m especially mindful of this, since research shows that men often struggle more with making and maintaining friendships. I see how nourishing my female friendships are, and I’m grateful for the skills I’ve learned to build and sustain those relationships. I want my sons to develop similar skills so they can experience the same kind of connection.

Right now, we’re working on shifting their knee-jerk responses. When they hear about something they’re not into, their instinct is often to say, “Well, I don’t like that.” For little kids, this seems like an honest and reasonable response, not a rude one. But instead, we’re encouraging them to pause, ask thoughtful questions, and connect what they’re hearing to what they already know. It’s about showing interest in others, even when their interests don’t match ours.

What about you? How are you teaching your kids to be good friends? 

--- 

#kelsewhatelse #momtips #momofsons #midwesternmom #beagoodfriend #bodylanguagegame 11/29/2024

How are you teaching your kids to be a good friend? You don’t have to lie or pretend to like something you don’t, but it’s also not necessary to loudly declare our dislike for someone else’s favorite things—especially when we’re trying to build friendships. My son is six, and I wish we’d started practicing this earlier, around the time his logic skills began developing at age four. Social and conversational skills—the kind we need to make friends and build relationships—aren’t always innate. They can be taught, practiced, and refined. One important lesson I want to instill with my kids: If you want to have quality friendships, you need to *be* a quality friend. Part of that means supporting your friends’ interests, even if they’re not your personal favorites. If I had daughters, I’d practice this with them, too. But as a mom to sons, I’m especially mindful of this, since research shows that men often struggle more with making and maintaining friendships. I see how nourishing my female friendships are, and I’m grateful for the skills I’ve learned to build and sustain those relationships. I want my sons to develop similar skills so they can experience the same kind of connection. Right now, we’re working on shifting their knee-jerk responses. When they hear about something they’re not into, their instinct is often to say, “Well, I don’t like that.” For little kids, this seems like an honest and reasonable response, not a rude one. But instead, we’re encouraging them to pause, ask thoughtful questions, and connect what they’re hearing to what they already know. It’s about showing interest in others, even when their interests don’t match ours. What about you? How are you teaching your kids to be good friends? --- #kelsewhatelse #momtips #momofsons #midwesternmom #beagoodfriend #bodylanguagegame

Photos from Well-Rooted Pediatrics's post 08/09/2024
12/30/2023

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