In supporting the Wellbeing of our Year 7 students, staff and Peer Support students engage in the language and strategies of URSTRONG. Friendships play an important role in our children’s wellbeing, helping them develop confidence, connection and a sense of belonging. However, navigating friendships can sometimes be challenging, particularly when relationships involve conflict, exclusion or hurt feelings.
As parents, our natural instinct is to step in and fix the problem. However, URSTRONG’s Friendology approach encourages parents to become Friendship Coaches, helping children recognise healthy friendship patterns and develop the confidence to make positive choices.
Some key strategies include:
- Recognise how friendships feel: Encourage your child to notice whether friendships leave them feeling happy, respected and valued, or frequently upset and uncomfortable.
- Create healthy boundaries: Remind children that they can choose to spend less time in friendships that don’t feel positive, without necessarily ending the friendship.
- Nurture positive connections: Encourage friendships where children can be themselves, feel included and experience mutual trust and respect.
- Navigate conflict: Help children understand that disagreements are normal, but healthy friendships involve listening, kindness and a willingness to resolve problems.
- Stay true to their values: Encourage young people to make choices that reflect who they are, rather than changing themselves to fit in.
Friendships change, and that’s okay. By supporting children to reflect on their experiences rather than solving every problem for them, we help build resilience, emotional awareness and the skills needed for healthy relationships throughout life.
For more practical strategies and resources to support your child in navigating friendships, visit the URSTRONG Friendology website.
