Teach Your Child to Be a Good Friend With This One Activity

Friendship doesn’t always come naturally—and that’s okay. Many kids struggle to understand what it means to be a good friend, how to connect with others, or how to recognize when a friendship isn’t healthy. But these are skills we can teach—and it starts with one simple but powerful activity.

The Activity: Good Friend vs. Not a Good Friend

Sit down with your child and create two lists together:
1. What makes someone a good friend
2. What makes someone not a good friend

Ask them to share real examples from their own life—things they’ve seen, felt, or experienced. Use their stories as a starting point to build awareness and connection. This activity encourages your child to reflect on their own behavior, build empathy, and begin identifying red flags and green flags in relationships.

Why This Activity Matters

Many kids know how to make a friend…. but not always how to keep one. By defining what friendship looks and feels like, your child begins to understand how to show up as a kind, respectful, and trustworthy friend—and what to expect from others in return.

Parent Coaching Tips

Make it a conversation, not a lecture. Try using these prompts:

• “What’s something a good friend does over and over?”

• “Have you ever had a friend who made you feel unsafe or unkind?”

• “What kind of friend do you want to be?”

Keep the tone curious and collaborative. Your goal isn’t to force answers, but to help your child build awareness and confidence in their social world.

Free Resources: Try Module 1 of the Friendship Course

Want to go deeper? I’m offering a free download of Module 1 from my Friendship Course for Kids. This includes everything you need to walk your child through this activity with support and structure.

Here’s what you’ll get:

• The Good Friend vs. Not a Good Friend activity

• Real-life friendship scenarios to talk through

• Reflection questions to build social-emotional awareness

Ready to Help Your Child Build Real Friendship Skills?

The full Friendship Course for Kids is designed to help children build communication skills, recognize healthy friendships, handle conflict, and grow their confidence in social settings—all in a fun, supportive, and age-appropriate way.

Click the link below to enroll today and help your child build friendships that are kind, healthy, and lasting.