My child struggles to make friends and seems to be a 'loner', what should I do?

My child struggles to make friends and seems to be a 'loner', what should I do?

Eileen Hayes (Editor in Chief - Your Family magazine) gives expert video advice on: At what age do children normally start to make friends?; Why are friends important for children?; How can I help my child to develop good friendships? and more...

It really depends on the child. Some children are natual loners and parents shouldn't panic and think, "Oh, they haven't got any friends. There must be something wrong with them." It's really about whether the child's happy with that situation, and if they're unhappy with it, then obviously you want to try and do something about it. If a child's perfectly happy playing on their own or just having an occassional friend, then parents should try not to worry because those are huge variations as we grow through school and adulthood, in how many friends people want. Some people only want one close friend and that's their friend right through school. Some want a whole circle of friends, so parents shouldn't panic if their child seems to be a bit of a loner.