Friendships take work, over the summer and during back-to-school, we are making and maintaining friendships. Keeping these guidelines on hand, can be helpful to any tween or teen I know (and even some adults I know too).  Share them, remember them, and help our girls be a true friend.

Signs of a True Friend

• A friend who gossips about others, will gossip about you
• A true friend will never, ever post, email, text, tweet, or put something online to embarrass or hurt you. A true friend never wants you to be in pain.
• A true friend treats others the way she wants to be treated.
• A friend, who tells you someone else’s secrets, will tell your secrets too.
• A true friend apologizes when she has hurt someone’s feelings, even if it wasn’t on purpose. She does not make excuses.
• A friend does not make fun of others’ appearances; she knows that it makes her look insecure about herself. A true friend won’t judge you on your looks; she loves you for who you are on the inside.
• A true friend forgives, and avoids holding a grudge, because she knows she is only hurting herself if she holds on to negative feelings, she cares about the friendship too much to be stubborn.
• A true friend doesn’t make fun of you, because she knows that it hurts. She doesn’t say “just kidding” because a joke is funny, not hurtful.
• A true friend is supportive. She will stand by your side, be your cheerleader, and stick up for you, because she knows you would do the same for her.
• True friends give complements to others even if they’re jealous because they know that if they were in their friends’ shoes, they would want to be complimented too.

You have a choice: you can be a true friend or a fake friend, AKA a “friendemie.” Who do you want to be?  At the end of the day, its about how you feel about yourself.  I don’t know many girls who feel good after being mean to others, so be a true friend, be genuine, be bold, and treat others how you want to be treated.

Take Good Care,

Emily

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Emily Roberts MA, LPC is The Guidance Girl. Her goal is to help YOU become the most confident person you know! Emily is an award-winning author Express Yourself: A Teen Girls Guide to Speaking Up and Becoming Who You Are, Psychotherapist, TV & Media Contributor, Educational Speaker, and parenting consultant. She travels around the country educating girls, women, and parents. Express Yourself is available at bookstores nationwide and on Amazon. To learn more about Emily click here.