Parents are caregivers and their kids primary teachers, but can parents influence how kids make friends?
In a study, kids were given a picture book showing challenging interactions.
In the first study, the parents were told to describe the situations in their own words. The first group made positive associations with the situations. The second group discussed the social norms and values related to each situation, making associations like sharing is good and aggression is wrong. The third group had no discussion.
The researchers found that when parents viewed the situation as non-hostile or if they discussed that aggression was not a normal response, the kids were able to see the peer in a more positive light. Possibly opening the door to a new friendship.