The Importance of Friendship for School-age Children

Friends are very important to school-age children's healthy (health)development.Research has 41____ (show) that children who lack friends can suffer from emotional and mental difficulties later in life.They have also found that children with friends have a 42____ (great) sense of happiness,better self-esteem and fewer problems as they grow up.Friendships provide children with more than just fun 43____ (playmate).They help children develop emotionally and 44____ (moral).In interacting with friends,children learn many 45____ (society)skills,such as how to communicate,and how to cooperate.They practice 46____ (control)their emotions and responding to the emotions of others.

They develop their 47____ (able)to think through and negotiate different situations in their relationships.

Having friends 48____ (affect)children in many ways,even their school 49____ (perform).Children tend to have better attitudes about school and learning when they have friends there.In short,friendships are not just a luxury,they are a 50____ (necessary)for children.