Good-looking, easy-going, gifted children often win over their peers, but there is no guarantee that they will have friends. Children and young people who develop strong friendships have a range of skills that help them be easy to like, easy to get along with, and play with others. The skills of good friendships are generally developed later in life. That is, children will develop those skills in different situations and with the help of adults. In the past generation, exposure to different situations meant opportunities to play with each other, such as with siblings, older or younger friends. Parents would remind their children how well they got along with other children. At a very young age, parents began to “teach” them. Today’s children grow up with few siblings, have fewer opportunities for structured play, and are less likely to develop friendships than children did 10 years ago. Slowly evolving to promote a sense of individual rights rather than the importance of fitting in with the group (a parenting style that was popular back then). Those factors can lead to a delay or stagnation in the development of friendship skills, with the result that children become unhappy and self-centered. To help your child become part of a positive peer group, try these four approaches. 1. Discuss with your child how his best friend is doing. Ask him about his peers and talk about what makes them “good friends. Encourage your child to join at least one out-of-school group and to participate in one of the school’s art, sports, or hobby groups. 3. Limit the amount of time your child spends on negative, solitary activities such as watching TV, playing on the computer, and chatting online. 4. Make an effort to get to know your child’s friends and their parents. Not only is this an act of friendship, but it helps assess the time they give and alleviates the struggle in choosing friends. The process of communicating with others is also a learning process allowing the child early contact not to be self-centered.