Many adults today say they weren’t taught to make and maintain friendships. I’m often asked how we might break this cycle and model something different for the next generation.

What I keep coming back to is that we all need to start making small changes. What if we said hi to people walking by? What if we stayed off our phones while on the train or waiting in line? What if we allowed children to teach us how to put ourselves out there

Today’s guest is Annmarie Beatty, who is a therapeutic life coach and a leader in her local home school community. So many people think homeschooled kids don’t get enough socialization, but her experience is the opposite – families who homeschool their kids have to be intentional about socialization.

In this episode, we talk a great deal about being intentional in connecting with the people around us. There are so many societal structures that make friendship difficult, but here, I hope you get the message, loud and clear, that it’s worth the effort!

In this episode you’ll hear about:

• The importance of socializing with all ages and giving kids the opportunity to make intentional friendships 
• The cultural shifts and structural hurdles that cause making and maintaining friendships difficult
• Third Places, the Liking Gap, the decline in social trust (including thick and thin trust), and weak ties vs. strong ties
• Small changes that can facilitate more social trust, which can be as easy as staying off your phone while in line or on the train
• The extreme loneliness epidemic in the U.S., and seeing children as examples of how you can make friends and put yourself out there

Resources & Links:

Check out Episodes 38 and 39, which are about third places, and Episode 41, which is about the Liking Gap. Another good resource is Bowling Alone: the Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam.

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Want to take this conversation a step further? Send this episode to a friend. Tell them you found it interesting and use what we just talked about as a conversation starter the next time you and your friend hang out!