We tell kids to choose good friends. But are we teaching them how to BE one?

Middle school friendships can bring belonging, laughter, and support but also gossip, jealousy, hurt feelings, and group chat drama. In this episode of Parenting the Middle School Years with Joe Martin, Joe shares 10 practical friendship rules to help tweens and young teens build trust, respect boundaries, and support each other.

Parents and middle schoolers will learn how to:

• Be loyal to friends when they aren’t around
• Include someone who feels left out
• Support a hurting friend without rushing to offer advice
• Celebrate a friend’s success, even when feeling disappointed
• Keep promises and protect private conversations
• Recognize when a dangerous secret requires a trusted adult’s help
• Have a friend’s back while encouraging better choices and growth
• Respect “no,” give meaningful apologies, and accept differences

Whether your child is navigating changing friend groups, struggling with friendship problems, or learning what healthy friendships look like, these rules give you a useful starting point for conversation.

Listen together, choose one rule to practice, and help your child become the kind of friend they’d want to have.

Share this episode with another parent and follow Parenting the Middle School Years for practical guidance on raising confident, responsible, and resilient kids.

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