Being Thoughtful

Caring about your friend is an important part of friendship. Think about what your friend likes. Think about what your friend doesn’t like. Think about their feelings before you say something. If you do these things, it will be easier to keep your friend.

Friends Need to be Forgiving

These friends had planned to go for a ride along some of the country roads nearby. However, one of them forgot his helmet. He felt bad because this meant they had to change their plan. But the other friend did not make a big deal of it. He said, “Don’t worry. We can still practice getting on and off the motor cycle and we can go slowly around the yard right here.”

Listen

Remember! Friendship is not about only one person. Friendship cannot always be about what you want. It should not always be about what your friend wants. What you expect of your friend, they should be able to expect of you.

What this means:

• Pay attention to important events in your friend’s life. Find out when their birthday is. On their birthday call them or send a card. You could take them out somewhere to celebrate.

• If there are important events in their family, take an interest. This could be a happy or sad event. Give them a chance to talk about it.

• When you are making plans, you might sometimes have to do things you do not want to do. For example, you might end up seeing a movie you are not excited about. You might end up liking it!

• Ask about their life: How is their work going? How was their vacation? What is going well for them? What are they sad or worried about? You will be surprised at what you learn! Your friendship will grow deeper the more you learn about each other.

• Pay attention to their feelings: If your friend seems sad, ask about it! If they seem excited about something, ask about it! Your friend will know that you care about them if you do this.

• Try to remember the important things your friend shares. Ask them about these things when you see them again.

Learning Good Things About Friends

Friends with different abilities also have different strengths. This is something you can learn about each other. It is something you can enjoy about each other. “My friend Stephen has a visual disability and he listens really well. I love talking to him!”

Listen