Your son comes home from camp or school and cries out that no one likes him and he has no friends.
For many parents, hearing this statement from their child is painful. We all want our children to be accepted by their peers.
But while you may know that friends will come and go throughout his life, acknowledging his imminent concerns, consoling and supporting him by helping him work through the situation weighs heavily on how well he fares with his peers the next time.
"First, a parent should never discount their child's feelings or emotions," said licensed psychologist Sheldon J. Kaplan, who specializes in child and adolescent psychology. "Your child is expressing an emotion. Acknowledge the problem and help him work through it to find resolutions." That's exactly what Callahan resident Jamie Murkerson and her husband do with their children.
As parents of four girls, three of whom are school-age and one newborn, the Murkersons said say they discuss issues their daughters may have together as a family.
"It's important for us to be involved in our daughters' lives," said Murkerson. "If they are having problems with friends, we talk it out as a family and try to find a solution that makes everyone happy." Friendships and social interactions are important to everyone but particularly to children, Kaplan said. Friendships help build one's confidence and self-esteem, he added.
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