Friends You Care About...Do they....??????

*7 Ways to know if your friends really care about you*

- *They are interested in your well being, and not in what you might give them or do for them. *
- *They listen and care about what you have to say. *
- *They are happy for you when you do well. *
- *They say they are sorry when they make a mistake. *
- *They don't expect you to be perfect. *
- *They give you advice in a caring way. *
- *They respect your privacy.

*Friendships can be confusing at this time in your life.
You may be makingnew friends while you are trying to keep old friends.
It can also be hardknowing what to do if you disagree with a friend.
You can have a goodfriendship and still disagree sometimes, though.

Tips for handling a disagreement with a friend: -

In a healthy friendship, you should not be afraid of losing a friend because you say "no."

Good friends should respect your right to say no about anything and not give you a hard time.

It is important that you show your friend the same respect when they say no to you.

If you and your friend disagree about something or have an argument, it does not mean that you have an unhealthy relationship.

You will not always agree with what your friend has to say, but it is important thatyou respect one another's opinions.

As long as you and your friend listen to what the other has to say, you should be able to work through a disagreement.

The relationships you have will help you learn a lot about yourself.

You will find out what things you like to do together but, moreimportantly, you will learn about the kind of friends you want to have and the kind of friend you want to be.

How do I know that I have a healthy friendship with someone?

- You feel good about yourself when you are around that person.
- You think that there is an equal amount of give and take.
- You feel safe around the other person.
- You enjoy spending time with the other person, instead of feeling like you're pressured into spending time with him or her.
- You feel that you can trust him or her with your secrets.

If you don't feel that there is good communication, sharing and trust, you are probably in an unhealthy relationship.

Remember, though, that trust takes time to build and you have to take care of your relationships with thoughtfulness and patience.

If you are not feeling good about how things are going, try talking to theother person about how you are feeling.

If you aren't able to work on making things better *together*, you may need to end the relationship.

If it's hard for you to stop spending time together, keep talking to the other person about how to make your relationship healthier.

Sometimes, there isn't anything you can do to make the relationship better, and staying involved can be hurtful to you.