So You’ve Made a New Friend. Now What?

You’ve made it past your awkward acquaintance phase, and you’re ready to hang out and really get to know your new friend. So, where do you start?

Here are five things you can do to keep your new friendship moving forward together:

1. Follow up

If your friend mentioned something a while back, ask them about it again. It could be a show they started watching, something going on at school or a problem they were having at home. Just remembering something that they said and bringing it up again shows that you were listening and that you care.

2. Try something new together

Find something you’re both interested in but haven’t tried and do it together! You could play a new sport or video game, try cooking or baking, do a Bob Ross painting video or take a class together.

3. Celebrate your friend

It’s easy to assume your friend knows that they’re awesome, but everyone likes to hear it sometimes. Remind them what you like about them and why you like having them in your life.

Look for opportunities to cheer them on, like during a game, before a test or before they ask someone out. Show them you believe in them and that you’re on their team.

4. Share what you love

Do you have a hobby your friend hasn’t tried? Have they never seen your favorite movie? Make plans to share something you really like with your friend. Then, have them pick something they love for you to check out. You might find a new interest you hadn’t even considered!

Even if your friend’s thing isn’t your thing, giving it a chance can help you understand why it’s important to them.

You don’t have to like all the same things, but sharing your interests is a great way to get to know each other better.

5. Ask for or offer help

Asking a new friend for help for the first time may feel like a big step. Opening up about a problem you have shows someone you trust them and that you value their perspective.

Offering help shows that you care and that you’re paying attention to what they need.