Camaraderie, peer approval, comparison, and support: Friends serve so many roles throughout childhood and lay the foundation for other relationships throughout the lifespan. Making friends, however, can be difficult for children and teens. Here are five tips to help forge friendships throughout the early years.

Practice dialogue at home: Knowing what to say and when is key in any relationship but children are relatively new at conversation even into adolescence. Knowing how to listen is just as important as what to say. Take turns practicing common phrases, polite responses, and how to structure appropriate pauses.

Make introductions: Try to find like-minded children who share your child’s interests. Host a playdate, encourage a meet-up or allow children to share contact information.

Give children space: Micromanaging children’s friendships may be tempting for concerned parents and caregivers. However, allowing relationships to flourish or wan on their own encourages genuine connections and independence.

Help build confidence: Increasing your child’s confidence in other areas of life can help build social skills. Develop abilities through extracurricular activities and finding what they are good at in other areas of life.

Reach out to parents: You are not the only parent or caregiver seeking connections for their child. Kids of all ages struggle with social skills. Leverage your own connections in social media forums and community groups.