Friendly Books for Friendly Kids 4 to 10
Making Friends
Who would have ever guessed a bunny and a carrot would become friends, let alone best friends!
At first glance, it does not seem like they would have much in common, but when Bunny met Carrot, he followed the Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated.
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Sometimes, making friends can feel quick and easy. Other times, making friends can feel kind of hard, so here are a few tips from Bunny and Carrot to help you make new friends and keep them.
Friendship Is Like a Garden
Dear Readers,
Have you ever watched a plant grow?
Some plants seem to blossom and grow big right away. Other plants grow slowly and get bigger over time. Friendships can be like this, too.
When you meet a new friend at school or on the playground, you quickly learn their name, how old they are, and what they like to do. Maybe they love riding down the curly slide. Or, maybe they love to play tag most of all. If you love the curly slide or playing tag, you may feel like friends right away. That type of friendship is similar to a fast-growing plant. It springs up quickly!
There are slow-growing friendships, too. This type of friendship requires a little more time and perhaps a bit more patience. Let me explain: Imagine that a new family moved into a house across the street from where you live now, and they have a boy or girl about your age. Now, imagine that when you see that new boy or girl, you wave hello to them. They wave back, but you can see they are too busy moving into their new house to talk.
Then, in a day or two, you take a walk with your mom or dad, and you walk right past their house. Maybe the new family is outside, so you get a chance to actually say hello and introduce yourselves by name. They might share how busy they are with unpacking, but that they hope to get to know you after they settle in. This means that it may be a few more weeks before you get a chance to spend time together and build a friendship, and that is okay. Good things are worth the wait!
Like Gardens, Friendships Require Tending
Something a gardener does regularly, is check on the plants growing in their garden. The gardener enjoys seeing the plants and flowers blossom and grow. They also want to see their plants get just what they need, whether that is enough sunlight or shade, water and care. In other words, if a plant looks thirsty, the gardener waters it.
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In the same way, a friend enjoys seeing their friend thriving and doing well; they do not envy their friend or wish for them to have a difficult time. When a friend sees another friend in need of something, they offer to help. Friends do not ignore each others troubles.
Weeding Out Friendship Troubles
A good gardener is quick to remove any pests or weeds taking away water, sunlight, or nutrients from the other plants. You can think of a weed in a garden as a disagreement with your friend. Just like a weed, a disagreement can take away the good things your friendship needs to grow, and so it is best to get rid of those disagreements before they take over, or any more crop up. After you remove those pesky disagreement weeds, be sure to apologize to your friend, and forgive them, too. After that, there will be plenty of room for your friendship to grow.
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Please note: If a disagreement with a friend becomes really big or even a little scary, please talk to your parent or another trusted adult family member. Grownups usually have experience tending to friendships and can help.