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Children & Young People

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Think about starting small

Richard doesn't need to rush up to someone and say "can you come over to my flat on Saturday and we'll go swimming and have a burger and....."

The other person might be quite put off. Friendships take time.

The first step is to start the conversation. This can be scary. Adults I know say that any intelligent thought they've ever had vanishes and they become blithering idiots when beginning a conversation with someone they hardly know.

What Richard needs is a practiced phrase or two he can use that slips out easily and gets him over that first hurdle. How about something like:

Did you see the programme last night about........?
What did you think of it". Since most people watch television, this could be a common starting point.
What did you think about the homework we had last night?
I liked your drawing . What kinds of things
do you like to draw?
What did you do over the holiday (or weekend)?
"Would you like to go over there and play that
game or do you have any other suggestions?
Would it be OK if I sat here next to you?

Again this is something you could practise. I certainly recommend that Richard practise his opening lines either with a family member or in the mirror or to the wall, if necessary.

What happens next?..