It is designed for guided use with Parents and caregivers of children ages 5–12 by parents, teachers, counselors and therapists. Check the preview and adapt reading, writing and discussion demands when needed.
Friendship Problems
A parent guide to conflict, exclusion and changing friendships, with scripts and a decision tool for listening, coaching or contacting school.
Parents and caregivers of children ages 5–12Instant downloadZIP download
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Therapist-developed. Practice-informed. Carefully reviewed.
Every SafeSEL resource is developed and reviewed by a practicing therapist for clarity, practical usefulness, and age-appropriate language.
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About this resource
Ready to print and use.
Friendship pain creates a strong rescue reflex. Parents may want to call another family, email the school, label the behavior bullying, or reassure the child that other friends are available. This 15-page guide slows the sequence down so the response fits the actual problem.
Parents learn the differences among ordinary conflict, a changing or ending friendship, exclusion, relational aggression, and bullying. The guide shows how to hear the child’s emotional experience first, then clarify sequence, repetition, power, impact, and what the child fears will happen next. It explains why perspective-taking should not become forced equal blame and why not every friendship can—or should—be restored.
Short scripts support listening, careful clarification, one manageable repair or boundary, transparent school contact, and private handling of screenshots. Two tools—the Friendship Situation Map and Parent Decision Guide—organise the situation and the parent’s next decision.
WHAT YOU RECEIVE
15 pages in US Letter and A4 PDF, plus editable US Letter and A4 DOCX files for personal family use.
IMPORTANT SCOPE
This educational parent guide is not a diagnosis, treatment plan or substitute for individualized medical, educational, mental-health, safeguarding or emergency support when needed.
LICENSE
Personal-use license for the purchasing household. Redistribution, resale and public posting are not permitted.
How to use it
Start small, then adapt from the response.
- Preview the pages and choose one manageable activity for the current need.
- Print or use the resource alongside calm, supportive adult guidance.
- Notice what helped and repeat or adapt the activity without forcing disclosure.
Before you use this resource.
Yes. The files and formats included in this product are listed above. Access is digital after confirmed payment.
No. It can support teaching, discussion and practice, but it does not replace assessment, safeguarding, crisis support or individualized professional care.
A parent guide to friendship problems and changing peer relationships
This fifteen-page resource distinguishes ordinary conflict, exclusion, changing friendships and bullying. The Friendship Situation Map and Parent Decision Guide help organise what happened and what to consider next. The guide does not assume that every friendship should be restored or that both children must share equal blame.
Choose listening, coaching or school contact deliberately
The scripts and decision tool support a more specific response to the situation rather than immediate rescue or blanket reassurance. PDF and editable DOCX editions are included for household use. If the concern involves bullying, compare the dedicated safety-focused guide and follow appropriate school procedures.