Support Your Students to Build Healthy Friendships Inside and Beyond the Classroom

Our social connections are a key pillar that supports positive mental wellbeing. For children, school is a pivotal environment where they begin to explore and build connections with others.

As an educator, you get a bird’s eye view of friendships inside and outside the classroom. You probably see when tensions arise between friendship groups, watch children build new friendships and navigate their way through social situations each day.

A great way to support your students on the rollercoaster of school friendships is by helping them develop social and emotional skills.

The Smiling Mind Resilient Families Program is full of bite-sized SEL activities developed by psychologists that provide opportunities for children to learn and practise these core SEL skills. The program has been designed to help them develop healthy friendships, emotional regulation and coping strategies for challenging situations.

In this audio story from the Resilient Families Program, your students can learn how to recognise and develop healthy friendships. Listen along with your class and afterwards, prompt them to reflect on their own friendships and what they might be able to take away from the story.