Lunch and Learn: Children's Friendships: A Guide for Grown-ups

How do you respond when your child is in tears at bedtime because their best friend left them out at recess?  What do you do when your child comes home and reports that they had a fight with a classmate whom they refer to as their “enemy?" And what if your child has friends, but often declines the chance for playdates after school?

 

Parents and caregivers are left wondering: What is normal conflict between children?  What is bullying? When should I intervene; when should I step back?  How do I help my child have healthy friendships? This presentation provides an overview of the stages and characteristics of children's friendships, gender differences in friendships and conflicts, the role of technology, and practical strategies to support kids with common friendship challenges.

 

Bio -  Catherine Mallam is the Lower School Director of Student Support at The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, PA. With over thirty years' experience as a school counselor, Catherine's background includes the design and delivery of a K-5 school counseling program from its inception and the founding a peer mediation program which served as a model to other schools. Catherine speaks to educator and parent groups at independent and public schools in the Philadelphia area about children's friendships, executive functioning skills, and childhood anxiety. She is a certified trauma practitioner through the National Institute of Trauma and Loss in Children. Catherine earned her M.S.Ed. from the University of Pennsylvania and her B.A. in psychology from William Smith College.