
Word on the Street with Helen Connolly: Childhood friendships – why are they so important?
One of the things children repeatedly tell me is how important it is for them to have good friends. Children are very aware of the reasons their peers might have difficulty making friends. Although they know it can be harder for a child who has a physical or intellectual disability, a different gender or skin colour, or a personality that is not like most of their peers, they told me the main reason some children feel left out is because they “don’t know how to make friends”.