By Gretchen Rubin

Every Wednesday is Tip Day, or Quiz Day, or List Day.
This Wednesday: Two lists about making new friends.

I’m a huge fan of Michael Thompson’s book, Best Friends, Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Lives of Children, so when I noticed that he was a co-author, with Lawrence Cohen and Catherine O’Neill, of Mom, They're Teasing Me: Helping Your Child Solve Social Problems, I picked it up right away.

I saw the title of the introduction: “It All Started When She Hit Me Back…” Ah, I recognized that kind of claim! I needed no further persuasion to read the book (though my children, thankfully, have no particular social problems at the moment).

Given the title of the book, it’s no surprise that the authors discuss at some length the subject of friendship and... More...