‘Go make friends’, this is an all-too familiar throwaway comment, usually uttered as parents throw open the gate to the play park. Like children are somehow wired to know how to make friends, spoiler: they’re not. Social skills are called a skill for a reason, they take training and practice.
Making friends can be hard; it's not as simple as 'they like Hot Wheels/Bluey/TikTok too'; it takes social communication skills, which many adults struggle with, let alone kids with underdeveloped brains and emotions. Trying to make and keep school friendships can seem like an uphill climb.
