Supporting Children in their Friendships

Parenting or caregiving for children is probably the toughest job you’ll ever love. As parents and caregivers it can be easy to get stressed out, and one of the biggest stressors in supporting the children in our lives can be their peer relationships. Childhood peer relationships are so important, but sometimes challenging. Generally we want children to have as many friendships as possible, but schedules for kids and families make that complicated. One type of relationship that can be really vexing is triadic, or three-way, friendships. Even with good intentions one child can often feel left out, ostracized, or worse in odd numbered groups. But that doesn’t mean that triadic friend groups can’t work. Life is always complicated, and having children learn in diverse interpersonal settings can be immensely rewarding. And, three-way and other odd-numbered groups can be great for all involved. Here is a free article that can help parents and caregivers navigate odd numbered childhood relationships so that they can be all that they can be.