Teaching kids friendship skills begins with parent example

Making friends (and keeping them) is one of the most important skills kids learn. But it's not learned with textbooks or lesson plans. Building healthy relationships is a hands-on activity. When kids struggle to make friends, it's easy for to blames schools. But schools can only do so much to foster friendship skills. The best lessons begin and end at home. Here are ways parents can teach kids to make friends. Teaching kids friendship skills begins with parent example 

Parenting teens through relationship drama (without tearing your hair out)

 As a mom, I'm generally confident handling childhood hurdles--potty-training, picky eaters, night frights--bring 'em on. There's one issue that shakes my equanimity--teen relationship drama. Whether they're boyfriend-girlfriend connections or same-gender friendships, teenage relationships are often fraught with drama and drenched in anxiety. Frankly, I'd rather walk barefoot over hot coals carrying a sack of nails on my head than deal with drama (esp. OP--other peoples'--drama. I can distance from drama in my own relationships. In my kid's--not so much). Even the term "drama" makes my face twitch. Disagreeable as they are, relationship problems are part of a teen's life and they need us parents for emotional support. After four kids (and a lot of trial and error), I've assembled some thoughts for parents on helping kids navigate peer relationships.  How to parent teens through relationship drama without going crazy - Yahoo! Shine