Tips for helping your friends get along with each other
Most people make friends in many different places. Friends come from work, school, church, and can even be from the neighborhood a person grew up in. Before someone realizes it, they may have a very diverse group of friends. This is actually very healthy, but can also be the source of problems when it comes time to get together with these friends. Problems can arise when a person tries to include several of their friends in a party or even just during a small get-together. This can cause a lot of stress on the host or hostess who is just trying to have a nice time. Here are a few tips to help with this nerve-racking scenario.
Find activities that everyone likes
When a person decides to get a group of friends together for a party or a get-together it can be very helpful to find an activity that most of the members of the group like to do. This will help to keep everyone involved, happy, and focused on the activity instead of the fact that they don't know each other very well, or that they feel uncomfortable around the other people for any reason. As a person gets to know their friends, they can make mental notes about what activities each person likes to do. Then when it comes time to plan a party or get-together, the person can invite the other people from their circle of friends that would enjoy participating in this activity.
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Plan activities that help friends get to know each other
If the main reason that a person's friends aren't getting along is because they don't know each other, then a simple solution is to plan activities that will help the group of friends get to know each other better. There are a variety of get-to-know-you games such as each person saying three things about themselves, two of which are true and one which is false. Then everyone else has to guess which one is the lie. Another is to have a casual dinner where each person brings a favorite dish that they have prepared, and they share why they like this particular food and take turns telling stories from their past that can help describe who they are as a person. Any type of activity that will allow people to talk about what they like to do, who they are, and allows for people to interact will help a person's friends get to know each other better.
Don't pick sides
If the reason that the friends aren't getting along is because they are angry at each other, don't pick sides. Even if a person feels that one of their friends is right and the other is wrong, this is not their fight, and picking sides will only cause more problems. These friends need to work it out for themselves. A person can offer advice to help their friends resolve problems, but should be honest and tell their friends that they want to stay out of the conflict as much as possible. The person should let their friends know that they want to remain friends and help in whatever way they can, but that they feel it is better not to get in the middle of the disagreement.
Bring friends together and be honest with them about your concerns
No matter what the reason is for a person's friends not getting along, it is important for the person to be honest with them. A person can bring their friends together and explain how hard it is to plan activities that they will all enjoy, or how difficult it is to deal with their friends not getting along. This will be a great opportunity for the friends to open up and explain why they don't get along, resolve issues, and at least hear about the problems they are causing their friend.
