Most parents have noticed how quickly children make friends.  No sooner do they step onto the playground and they have a new best friend.  This is in stark contrast to many adults who are more cautious in making friends.  Another remarkable fact is that many times children call each other "friends", yet when the parent asks their child the name of their new friend, the child does not know.  It all seems so simplistic really.  Children want to play, there are other children around, so their natural conclusion is to become friends and play together.

How are children able to make friends so quickly and effortlessly?  Is it because they have but one common goal which is to play and have fun?  Is it because they are less private and guarded than adults are?  Maybe it is in part because of their innocent nature.  Children play, fight, make-up, and play again.  While this cycle is often repeated many times (even on the same day), the end result of playing together is almost always the same.

Adults, on the other hand, take time to get to know each other before deciding if they will become friends.  They talk to one another and perhaps get together several times to see if they have similar interests and lifestyles.  Forming an adult friendship is neither effortless nor quick like their children counter parts.  Adults are more private and protective of their personal lives and personal space.  This could stem from past experiences of betrayal by friends.  Perhaps it is something that is just inborn and becomes a more dominate part of our personality as we grow older.

So, who is right?  Maybe the answer lies somewhere in the middle.  Adults could be more open to forming friendships in less time than they would normally take to do so.  We could lower our walls to let people in and trust that people are basically good.  Children could use more cautious when forming friendships to make sure the values and morals of their friends align with their own values and morals.  What do you think?

Hurricane and fire season is upon us in Florida.  Now is the time to take a fresh look at safety and get prepared.  In addition, children need to be taught about fire, hurricane and tornado safety.  There are many good websites out there full of fun activities to make the learning fun and informative for the little ones.  Kids can get involved with making a list of items to keep on hand in case of an emergency.  They can draw maps to show the exits from the home and a meeting place for the family.

Hurricane season runs from June through November, so preparedness is key.  The time is now.  Fema has a wonderful website loaded with information for children on hurricane safety.  You can view it by clicking here.  On the site, kids can lean how to protect the home, pets, what to pack in a disaster kit and play games to name a few of the tools.  By getting the kids involved and informed, they will be less fearful and feel more prepared. With hurricanes come tornadoes.  Fema also has a page dedicated to tornado safety as well.  You can view it here.

It seems like there are fires all around those of us living in central Florida.  Flagler and Volusia counties have been hit especially hard lately.  With the fires threatening homes, this can be a very frightening time for children.  They need to learn how to react and how to prepare for fires.  Luckily, there are dozens of websites dedicated to fire safety for kids.  A few of them can be accessed by clicking the following:

From the CDC,

Fire safety for kids

Smokey Bear