We learned the importance of not letting our child depend too much on just one group of friends. Relying on one group makes their social life fragile and can push your child to act out of character as they become Smoothies. Additionally, they might miss out on different experiences and not learn how to judge character well. We don’t want our child to be unprepared for the world outside.

So, we made sure Sabi had a mix of friends.

• Some of these friends are math nerds, some sports fanatics, some much older than her, some younger, some rich, some poorer. You get the point.
• This included pals from Seido Karate Dojo, neighbors in our living area, schoolmates, family, attending mother’s meetings, attending Global Shapers, and regulars customers of Snug Monsters. It’s all about giving them a balanced social life.

If one part of Sabi’s social life took a hit, she knew how to shift her focus to another. This gave her a well-rounded social foundation.