Become Better Friends

You may have a great group of friends. Perhaps you aren't as close as you'd like. Here are some tips to strengthen your friendship that can be practiced alone or as a group effort.

Steps

  1. Make a best friend a friend forever Create a Great Scrapbook with Friends (for Girls). Include photos and moments of fun things you've done together. Add ticket stubs, receipts or anything that reminds you of good times together. Pass and share the book around so everyone can edit it.
  2. Arrange sleepovers often but not so often you become sick of each other or it adds stress to your family or school life. Sleepovers are helpful since you are spending time together overnight, and learn more about each other.
  3. Plan events together that are unique to the group. Arrange to go on a longer day trip, visit a festival, a concert or something that creates a bond. Going to movies or other local activities is also great.
  4. Listen. The key to any friendship is to listen. Allow your friends to talk and don't pass judgment or criticize.
  5. Accept you have differences and there will be differences of opinion. It's no fun being friends with clones anyway. Appreciate what makes each of you unique.
  6. Know when to agree to disagree. You won't always agree and no amount of fighting can change a persons mind.
  7. Soothe hurt feelings immediately. Don't let Deal With People Who Strongly Disagree With You last for long. Try not to go to bed angry.
  8. Treat your friends as you would like to be treated.
  9. Talking about someone behind their back to another friend in your group will make them feel threatened, isolated and ganged up on. Don't do it.
  10. Appreciate your friends and try to compliment them often. Don't lie but look for positives and let them know. Everyone loves a pat on the back.
  11. Acknowledge them when they have done something well. Give them the attention they deserve.
  12. Avoid jealousy and the bad behaviors it brings out in people. Be aware of your feelings and don't sabotage your friendship. Acknowledge your feelings and understand they are human. Confessing them and talking about them brings you closer.
  13. Talk about good things as well as bad. Get to know the good sides and bad sides of people. A real friend will know when your being unreasonable, call you on it, love you and still be your friend without missing a beat.
  14. Allow other people to enter your circle of friends. No friendship can survive in a vacuum. You can't force it and you can't force people to ignore other people that are interesting to them or bring new perspective. It makes them a better friend in the long run.
  15. Jealousy can be a huge strain on a friendship. Acknowledge it and avoid it. Appreciate they will have interest beyond your group of friends. Remember they are individuals and need time away to explore and learn. What they bring back from it can strengthen your friendship as you grow as people.
  16. Understand that friendships, even the really good ones, can experience times when you don't spend much time or talk to each other often. It isn't what you do when you're apart, it's what you do when you're together.
  17. Respect each other's privacy. Assume that all information shared is to be kept private. You should never be obligated to state, "don't tell anyone", "keep this between us". Friends should assume confidentiality until the teller shares it publicly.
  18. Spend time apart. Forcing yourselves on each other could cause you to become sick of each other. Alone time isn't a bad thing. You don't need to be connected at the hip to be better friends.
  19. Apologize when you are wrong. Be forgiving and never hold past mistakes against each other.

Tips

  • Be yourself. Don't worry about what other people think of you and what you're like. People will like the real you more than anyone else.
  • Always listen. People know they can count on you when you listen. This will make a great friendship!
  • The more you see your friends out side school the closer you'll become
  • Try to stay calm when you disagree.
  • Never gossip about your friends or tell their secrets behind their backs
  • Don't be too clingy. The relationship could become awkward for the both of you.
  • Even if you and your friend are busy or don't talk to each other that much, always be there if they are in trouble.
  • Making effort in the relationship is the best way to get closer to someone.
  • Use texting if you're always busy.
  • If there's ever a fight, don't be the rude one or aggressor, it'll make the fights not last at all
  • Use texting to stay in touch if you're always busy.
  • Try to create a club, just for you and your friends, it will give you guys/girls a reason to hang out.
  • Don't say mean things about a friend's past. Sometimes they are trying to let go of it, and as much as you might want to tease them about it, it's better if you keep quiet and be understanding.

Warnings

  • Do not overdo it with your relationship, try giving them some space.
  • Sometimes, there will be people who are happy with where the relationship is and feel no need to get closer to you. It happens. Don't let it stress you out. Work on becoming better friends with someone else instead.

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