Ask Sam

Hi there,

Some young people find making friends really difficult. There can be lots of reasons that it happens but everyone deserves friends and there are people out there waiting to find someone like you.

Knowing where to start when looking for new friends can be hard. Often it’s something you have to work on, making new friends takes time but it’s worth the effort.

We’ve got some top tips for making friends which is a good place to start thinking about how to make friends. Remember that friends are people you can share the things you enjoy with. This means you don’t need to change who you are or what you like – but also be open to trying new things.

Remember that someone you’re trying to be friends with is a person just like you. When you’re worried about what to say or what to do, think about what you’d like them to say if it was the other way around. People like to feel as though you’re showing an interest so ask them about themselves and be interested in what they’ve got to say.

Having online friends is a big part of some young people’s lives. It's okay to want to try and make friends online but it’s always important to keep yourself safe online. Don’t give away personal information like your full name, school or phone number. It might be good to try making some friends can be on the ChildLine Message Boards.

Sometimes even when you’re doing everything right, it can still seem really difficult, things like bullying or troubles at home can leave you feeling like making friends is too hard. When you’re struggling it can be a really good idea to speak to an adult you trust. Someone like a teacher for example could help make opportunities to make friends.

You can always talk to a ChildLine counsellor about what things have been like. They can give you a space to talk about anything and to think about how you feel.

Take care,
Sam