Fall Into Good Character-Friendship
Have you met Friendship Frog? This is one of the nine Characters of Character who have impacted thousand of children and helped build a firm foundation for our children to build up on. This character helps teach our children what a good friend truly means. Friends are hard to come by who are honest and out for your own good! When you do find an honest friend, keep them! Friends come in many shapes and sizes, even chapters in our lives. I remember when I was a Girl Scout we always said, “Make new friends, but, keep the old, one is silver and the other gold” Being a good friend isn’t a skill, it takes work, but, it’s a must in a child’s life and as a parent, you’ll have to put some time into this! After all, you want your kids to be influenced by good friends as they do so much together, and often. Help them to choose wisely. Not everyone is our friend.
Here are some tips from Friendship Frog to help teach Friendship:
Explain to your child what good friends do:
Friends can read together, walk together, talk together, sing and dance together! Friends can paint, draw and climb the trees together! Friends can go to the park, swim in the pool and even introduce one another to their family and other friends. Reinforce to your child that:
Friends are honest
Friends use kind words
Friends enjoy spending time together
Friends help each out with a problem
Friends make one another happy
Friends like to spend time together
Friends have fun with one another
Read books about friendship, role play with your child how to be a good friend and be a role model! Have discussions with your kids about being a good friend and make time to introduce them and get involved in different activities where they may meet their new best friend.
When we teach our kids how to be a good friend will help them to build lasting friendships and allow them to be comfortable in life to make new friends. Life skills and building good character is important for a child at an early age because it helps them be comfortable and brings out their natural character which they will build upon. There is an unconditional love from children when it comes to making new friends and meeting new people, and as a child develops these skills they will find the balance and the people they want to include in their circle of friendships. We’re here to guide them, be a role model for them and encourage them on their journey, hopefully making good choices!
This is us, fifty plus years of friendship! Treasure your friends, they are hard to come by and a treasure to keep, forever!
The above are in the Resource book which is filled with templates, ideas and suggestions to reinforce and teach perseverance. The bulletin board book and poster book is filled with reproducible activities to use as visual reminders while learning and teaching perseverance to our children and youth. You don’t need a bulletin board, use a door! Keeping visual reminders is a great way to reinforce anything. Use the chart as a journal prompt, a sticker chart and an open discussion with your child. Each character also has a Pledge, plenty of tools to engage, impact and influence your child or students with being a good friend and enhance their character!
Each of the Characters of Character have a Resource Book filled with templates, suggestions and ideas to help teach and reinforce their character trait. Friendship Frog can be found here. There is also a Bulletin Board and Posters Book for you to teach this trait and is available here. Let’s Be Friends social story is available here. A small investment for a lifetime of learning! Remember that your children or students look up to you, you are their role model, they are listening to what you say, they are watching what you do and how you engage with others. Make good choices.
How about our paper bag puppet of Friendship Frog! Print out here. I print on card stock for more durability. We do have a Paper Bag Puppet Book with all the characters for hours of fun for your kids! This is a video to make the paper bag puppet with me, Ms. Joni
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TELL me and I forget, TEACH me and I remember, INVOLVE me and I learn. Benjamin Franklin