Choosing friends wisely…
One of the things we should train (chanak) our children to do is carefully choose their friends. I remember growing up my dad was always harping on the importance of carefully choosing who I was friends with. I didn’t really listen to him then, but as I look back at the last 10-12 years of my life I can see that his influence, his training has helped me choose good friends. Thanks dad…you were talking, and I was listening-at least sometimes. Although your midnight lectures typically fell on deaf ears. 
Some tips for choosing friends:
- Friends are the people who are there for you in good times, but most importantly in bad times. Who’s there when you are hurting?
- Friends will tell you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear.
- Friends love you for who you are and not what you have or what you can do.
- Friends will not pressure you to be be something you are not.
- It’s not about how many friends you have, but about the quality of the relationship you have with them.
I think it’s important to remember that we are creating an appetite for friendship in our children, a lot of it is learned by the people we as parents are friends with. Who are the people you keep close to you? Do they help or hurt what you are trying to “chanak” your children about choosing their friends?
King Solomon said this about friends, “Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.”
I am challenged by this often with Kendall. She is constantly trying to earn this one child’s friendship. It saddens me so greatly because I know what an incredible little girl my Kendall is and I don’t want to see her self value wrapped up in the approval of one fickle little child. It seems everday we are talking about the importance of being friends with people for the right reason. I hope one day it sinks in!
I think it’s sinking in…she is only 5.