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Smile when you make eye contact with another kid. They'll know right away that you're a nice, friendly person. Give your classmate a compliment when you like something they've done. This not only makes the other person feel good about themself but it also warms them up to you.  In art class, you could say, “Hey Ari, your drawing looks really pretty!” or “Emily, it was really nice of you to share your scissors with me today. Thanks!” After math class, let a classmate know you appreciated their help by saying “Mandy, I'm so glad you asked the teacher that question today. I was confused about that too!” Whether you end up sitting next to a new kid at your school or you're assigned to a group project with someone you haven't met before, take a moment to introduce yourself. Add a question or compliment to your introduction to get the other person talking. The other person will be glad you broke the silence and will feel comfortable around you in the future.  Try saying, “Hi, I don't think we've met before. I'm Rachel, what's your name?” or “Hi, I'm Rachel. Were you in Mrs. Colt's class last year?” Continue your conversation by asking the other person more questions about themselves. Show that you're genuinely interested and try to get to know them a little bit better. You can compliment someone by noticing something good that they're doing and praising it. For example, you could say, “Lola, you were an amazing team captain in gym class today!” If you're nervous about talking to kids you don't know, practice with a trusted adult at home first. Pick activities you're interested in; don't just choose a club because it seems cool. If you like volleyball, dance, gymnastics, or singing, find a group through your school or local community that you can join. As an alternative to joining a club, consider volunteering and helping others with your free time.  If you're interested in volunteering, ask your parents to help you find a local organization you could help. See if you could volunteer at your church or local library. Maybe there's a park clean-up group or food pantry you could volunteer with. When you show up for your group meetings, introduce yourself and be friendly to everyone you meet. If you do things you like outside of school, you'll have plenty to talk about with your classmates. You could even invite a friend to join you sometime. If another kid asks you to play tag with them on the playground, or if they invite you to their birthday party, accept their invitation. Show that you're excited and grateful by saying “yes, I'd love to; thanks for asking!” The more you say “yes,” the more people will get to know you and like you.  If you're just a little nervous, don't automatically say “no.” They might not ask you again because they'll be worried about another rejection.  If the event is outside of school, ask your parents' permission to go before confirming with your classmate. It's okay to say “no” if you're not able to go. But let the person know you appreciate the offer and would still like to be friends. But if someone makes you uncomfortable, it's ok to say “no.” Talk with a parent or guardian if you're uncomfortable about a person's behavior or something they asked you to do. When you've agreed to hang out with a new friend, show up. If you offered to lend a classmate a great book, bring it to school the next day. If you promised not to share a secret, don't share it. The more you stick to your word, the more people will trust and like you. You'll make others feel valued and special.   Loyalty is really important in establishing good friendships. Be a loyal friend to others and they'll eventually do the same for you.  Don't cancel your plans at the last minute for no good reason. People get bored and tired of friends who never show up and never follow through.  If you're feeling down but you're supposed to go to a friend's birthday party in an hour, it would be easy to stay home, but your friend will be really disappointed. Instead, try to cheer yourself up and go to the party. You'll probably have lots of fun! It can be scary to ask someone to come over to your house or join you for a movie. But if you never ask, you'll never know what they'd have said! Think about what your classmate likes to do, and decide what to invite them for based on that.   While you're at school, invite other kids to hang out with you. If your classmate is into soccer, ask them if they'd like to kick a soccer ball around with you during recess. You can even invite others to play with you outside of school. If your new friend likes baking, ask your parents if you can invite your friend to come over and make cookies with you. If someone turns down your invitation, don't take it personally. Their decision to say “no” probably has nothing to do with you and more to do with something else that's going on in their life. Hanging out with certain “super-popular” kids and leaving out other “unpopular” kids might seem like a good way to become popular, but it doesn't really work. You'll seem fake and might hurt the people who like you. Just focus on being a nice, kind person to everyone around you. Offer genuine friendship to the people you want to befriend.  Social climbing involves ranking other kids and trying to climb up the ladder to join a group of kids you think are more popular than you.  Don't try to hang out with a cool girl at your school just because she seems cool. Instead, show that you're interested in her as a person. Ask her questions about herself and see if you have anything in common. If you decide you don't really get along after all, don't pretend that you do. When you make new friends, don't assume your old friends are beneath you or treat them badly. If you agreed to sit with your old friend on the bus, keep your promise. Don't just ditch them by sitting with your new friend on the bus.
Let your classmates know you're friendly by smiling and saying nice things. Introduce yourself to kids you don't know. Join a club or activity group to meet new people. Say “yes” when someone asks you to hang out or play with them. Keep your promises. Ask other kids to hang out or play with you. Avoid trying to become popular by social climbing.