Here’s how: 1. Practice “friendship openers” at home Role-play simple ways to start a conversation: • “Can I play with you?” • “Do you like [shared interest]?” • “Want to sit together?” This gives your child ready-made scripts to lean on when social cues feel confusing. 2. Coach through rejection Friendship takes trial and error. Teach them: •“If someone says no, that’s okay. You can ask someone else.” This normalizes setbacks and helps them bounce back instead of shutting down. 3. Focus on regu

When I started attending professional events years ago, I used to freeze. I would stand in a room filled with brilliant people, speakers, executives, founders and my mind would go blank. What do I say? How do I start? What if they ignore me? What if I sound unserious? Then one day I realized something that changed my entire approach: The people you’re afraid to talk to… are human beings who also want meaningful conversations. Once that clicked, networking became easier not because I became more