Friendships and Relationships

• we are social beings and need to interact with others

• relationship: a connection between groups of people that interact

  • relationships can be with strangers close friends or family

  • relationships can either build you up or break you down

  • positive relationships can improve self-control

  • negative relationships can affect self-esteem and lead to bad behaviors

• peers: people with whom you have things in common

  • examples classmates workmates

  • a friend is a peer whom you know and like

importance of friends

• friends allow you to have fun and exchange thoughts and ideas

• friends give advice and help you resolve problems

• friends teach you loyalty by sticking to and defending them

• friends provide stability and companionship

• friends teach you conflict resolution skills by resolving conflicts with them

types of friendships

• casual friendships

  • these relationships come and go

  • they teach different points of view

  • you don't interact with them on a daily basis

  • they may be from different cultural or geographic areas

  • they teach you to respect differences and to be a leader and a follower

  • casual friendships can grow into lasting friendships

• close friendships

  • these are the friends that we have close

  • they are a resource for you to express your emotions and thoughts

  • they help to reduce stress and unhappiness

  • they provide support and comfort in difficult times

• friendships with the opposite sex

  • it's normal to have friends of the opposite sex

  • they give you a different perspective on the same situation

  • they help you learn communication skills

forming building and strengthening friendships

• close friends are those with whom you share your most private thoughts feelings and experiences

• developing friendships can take a lot of time and resources but there are many benefits to having friends

  • friends can help you learn about yourself and how to get along with others

  • they show you a different perspective of the world

  • they give you a sense of belonging and a place to talk about your feelings

how to build friendships

• be friendly

• laugh and have fun with your friends

• join a group

• be nice to people

• be a good listener

how to strengthen friendships

• show respect

  • this allows you to make meaningful connections with the other person and it allows you to maintain them because they're less friction

  • it shows that you care about them and respect their individuality

  • it lets them know that they are important to you

• show leadership

  • leaders offer guidance or direction to friend

  • use good judgment

  • get help when needed from outside of the friendship

• work together

  • develops common interest and it strengthens the bond

• cooperate

  • realize that you may not win every argument and that you're always a good sport regardless of the circumstances

  • this means that you can compromise and you can be helpful to your friends without complaining

• support one another

  • be supportive of your friends in the good times and the bad times

  • friends trust and can be trusted too

  • friends respect each other's wishes and independence