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When your child has a friend who runs hot and cold
Some friendships are easy. Others? Not so much.
Maybe your child has a friend who is fun and exciting to play with—until suddenly, they’re not. One day they’re kind, the next day they’re mean. It’s confusing, but your child still wants to be friends. So what do you do?
Dr. Friendtastic for Parents is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
In this video, I share how to help your child navigate a hot-and-cold friendship, including what to say in the moment and how to set healthy boundaries.
* Prefer reading? Scroll down for the transcript!
If friendship rough spots like this sound familiar, my upcoming workshop, Kid Conflicts: How Parents Can Help, is for you. I’ll cover practical ways to support your child when friendships get complicated—without micromanaging or making things worse.
More details coming soon!
Warm wishes,
Dr. Eileen
P.S. Friendships can be complicated—excitement one moment, frustration the next. If your child could use some help, my workshop Dealing with Feelings about Friends – For KIDS! is a fun and practical way to teach them how emotions shape their friendships (without feeling like a lecture). Learn more here.
TranscriptWelcome back to Open Door for Parents. I'm Dr. Eileen.
Sometimes kids have a friend who runs hot and cold. One day they might be kind, and the next day they're mean. Often these kids are very exciting to play with, or they might be socially powerful, so your child might really want to be friends with them. But it’s confusing and upsetting when the friend is running cold.
If your child insists on being friends with this kid, they're going to need a plan for handling the relationship. When the friend is kind, great! There's no problem.
When the friend is not so kind, then your child needs to speak up in a calm and confident way and say something like, “This isn't fun for me!”
If the friend changes what they're doing, great. We're all good. If they don't, then your child should walk away and go play with somebody else that day. Over time this will teach the hot and cold front what your child is or isn't willing to put up with.
Now, you may prefer that your child find a different friend, and you can definitely make opportunities for your child to hang out with other kids. Spending time with easier friends can help your child learn that the best friends aren’t hot and cold; they’re steady warm.
Dr. Friendtastic for Parents is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
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Some friendships are easy. Others? Not so much.
Maybe your child has a friend who is fun and exciting to play with—until suddenly, they’re not. One day they’re kind, the next day they’re mean. It’s confusing, but your child still wants to be friends. So what do you do?
Dr. Friendtastic for Parents is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
In this video, I share how to help your child navigate a hot-and-cold friendship, including what to say in the moment and how to set healthy boundaries.
* Prefer reading? Scroll down for the transcript!
If friendship rough spots like this sound familiar, my upcoming workshop, Kid Conflicts: How Parents Can Help, is for you. I’ll cover practical ways to support your child when friendships get complicated—without micromanaging or making things worse.
More details coming soon!
Warm wishes,
Dr. Eileen
P.S. Friendships can be complicated—excitement one moment, frustration the next. If your child could use some help, my workshop Dealing with Feelings about Friends – For KIDS! is a fun and practical way to teach them how emotions shape their friendships (without feeling like a lecture). Learn more here.
TranscriptWelcome back to Open Door for Parents. I'm Dr. Eileen.
Sometimes kids have a friend who runs hot and cold. One day they might be kind, and the next day they're mean. Often these kids are very exciting to play with, or they might be socially powerful, so your child might really want to be friends with them. But it’s confusing and upsetting when the friend is running cold.
If your child insists on being friends with this kid, they're going to need a plan for handling the relationship. When the friend is kind, great! There's no problem.
When the friend is not so kind, then your child needs to speak up in a calm and confident way and say something like, “This isn't fun for me!”
If the friend changes what they're doing, great. We're all good. If they don't, then your child should walk away and go play with somebody else that day. Over time this will teach the hot and cold front what your child is or isn't willing to put up with.
Now, you may prefer that your child find a different friend, and you can definitely make opportunities for your child to hang out with other kids. Spending time with easier friends can help your child learn that the best friends aren’t hot and cold; they’re steady warm.
Dr. Friendtastic for Parents is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.