Alex's Answer

Hi there, you are very welcome to Ask Alex.     

Thank you for asking how to make more friends. Friendships are a really important part of being human, but sometimes we do not speak about how hard it is to make friends. It is really brave to look for support with this. We can want to make more friends for a variety of reasons, and thankfully there are lots of ways to make friends.  

You can make friends in lots of different settings. If you are struggling to make friends in school try to join an extra-curricular activity in school or volunteer for an event that may be happening in school. This way you may be able to speak in a quieter environment which makes conversations easier. Also start small. The interactions that matter most to the start of friendships are often the small ones. Strike up a conversation with a classmate about schoolwork, or if you have shared hobbies. Compliment them on something you like about them, maybe a new hairstyle or pencil case. 

There are many articles on the Childline website about friendships. You may like to have a read through some of them here www.childline.ie/friends/and in particular www.childline.ie/what-to-do-if-you-are-lonely-or-feel-like-you-have-no-friends/ and www.childline.ie/how-to-build-healthy-friendships-and-relationships/. 

We are here in Childline 24/7 if you would like to talk about how you feel and to chat about what you might say to your new friend. You can phone us 24/7 for free on 1800 66 66 66 or if you would prefer to chat online you can go onto our Childline website www.childline.ie and click on the orange Live Chat icon. Our Team will not judge you and can help explore some options with you. Thank you for reaching out to us.  

Look after yourself, and know we are here for you for any reason, anytime,  

Alex