Anitha Bennett & Cynthia John

Bonds of friendship are special. Unfortunately because of social distancing rules and travel restrictions mandated to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s been especially hard for children and adolescents to meet with and bond with friends. But there are many who have made innovative efforts to bond with friends over digital media.
How would you rate yourself as a friend? Here are some ideas to enable you to become a friend everyone would love to have.

Keep secrets closely guarded. Being loyal to a friend means zipping your lips tightly on the subject of secrets. Now that’s easier said than done! As hard as it is, you need to prevent yourself from revealing secrets that friends have confided in you. Keeping confidences without compromise is the start of long-lasting friendships.

Discover new ‘togetherness’ activities. Friendships are built over common interests. Write down all the things that you love to do on one side of a page. On the other, list the names of friends who would enjoy doing the same things. Now plan a date and time to do these activities together. If the pandemic restrictions don’t allow meeting up, set a later date.

Do you and your neighbourhood friend like books? Then start a lending library with her. Do you and your mates love chitchatting? Learn how to do so in sign language! The more enjoyable activities you share with your friends, the stronger the bonds of friendship you will grow!

Give your friend impromptu treats. Does your friend collect key chains? The next time you see an interesting one on a store shelf, buy it for her. Is your friend worried about his exam results? Make a special handcrafted good luck card for him! Thoughtful gifts go a long way towards making you a considerate and lovable friend.

Learn to let go. Friendships don’t go well all the time. If there is an argument or fight, take the lead in clarifying misunderstandings. In cases where you feel you have been treated unjustly, give time for the misunderstanding to heal. In worst cases, just let it go instead of building bitterness or trying to make a friendship work when it has ended.