Going Back to School and Making Friends | Corona, CA

Welcome to another school year! For some, it is returning to the same school with the same friends. For others, this may be a very scary time as they are starting in a new place without anyone familiar. Here are some helpful tips to think about when it comes to making friends and having a great school year:

Smile. Smiles make you seem friendly and make others feel special.

Make eye contact. When you look people in the eye, they feel like you’re interested in them and what they are saying.

Say hello. Greet classmates you haven’t talked to before – hello is the first step toward making a new friend. Make a goal to talk to one new person a week.

Forget stereotypes. Don’t stereotype schoolmates by the groups they belong to and don’t limit yourself to your current group.

Be involved. Extracurricular activities are opportunities to meet others who like the same things you do.

Be better. You don’t have to be the same as you were last year. The older you become, the more life experience you have, the better your social skills become.

Ask for advice. If you’re having trouble making friends or keeping friends, turn to people you respect to talk about your difficulties.

Be a good friend. Treat others the way you want them to treat you.

Be trustworthy. Keep your friends’ secrets and confidences, no matter how tempting telling others might be.

Be truthful. Lying might feel easier, but the truth eventually comes out and makes the situation much worse.

Speak up. If you see someone bring bullied or called names, stand up for the victim.

Apologize. If you hurt someone or mistakenly do something you shouldn’t have, say you’re sorry.

If you would like to learn more about random acts of kindness, contact Simple Acts of Care and Kindness at 866-459-7225 or visit www.simpleacts.org for additional information.

Random Acts of Kindness Day Should Be Year-Round | Corona, CA

Have you ever had someone randomly do something nice for you? Have you ever done something nice for someone out of the blue? It’s one of those simple ways you can brighten not only someone else’s day, but your day as well. There’s just something about making someone happy that can make your insides feel nice.

February 17th is known as National Act of Kindness Day. Sure, doing something nice for someone can, and should, happen every day of the year. But it’s a holiday that was created in New Zealand by Josh de Jong that has spread across the globe. And for good reason – taking a moment to think about someone else is something the world needs, especially after the rough time we’ve all had dealing with the pandemic and its aftereffects. In fact, the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation celebrates a whole week (February 13 – 19, 2022) because they believe in kindness and dedicated themselves to providing resources and tools that encourage acts of kindness.

So, what are you going to do to celebrate this very kind holiday? The effort can be as simple as a smile to a stranger – smiles go a long way for someone that is feeling blue. It isn’t a monetary thing; the point is to give someone the “warm and cozies” by your unexpected gesture. If you want to jazz up your good deed ideas, here’s a quick list:

  • Pay for the coffee or meal of the person in front of you in line.
  • Leave a kind note for someone.
  • Share words of encouragement.
  • Drop off some groceries at the local food pantry.
  • Mail a “thinking of you” card to someone you’ve not to talk to in a while.

If you would like to learn more about random acts of kindness, contact Simple Acts of Care and Kindness at 866-459-7225 or visit www.simpleacts.org for additional information.

Making Friends in a New School Age | Corona, CA

Going back to school can spark many emotions. Going back to school during a pandemic can make adjusting take some time. It’s tough having to deal with new schedules and ways of learning, even tougher to figure out how to make new friends. Here are some quick tips:

Smile. Smiles make you seem friendly and approachable. They make others feel special.

Make eye contact. When you look people in the eye, they feel like you’re interested in them and what they are saying. People like being respected.

Say hello. Greet classmates you haven’t talked to before – hello is the first step toward making a new friend.

Be involved. Extracurricular activities are opportunities to meet others who like the same things you do.

Ask for advice. If you’re having trouble making friends or keeping friends, turn to people you respect for helpful suggestions to solve your difficulties.

Be a good friend. Treat others the way you want them to treat you.

Trust is key. Keep your friends’ secrets and confidences, no matter how tempting telling others might be.

Be truthful. Lying might feel less scary, easier, or even better but more often than not, the truth eventually comes out and makes the situation much worse than if you initially told the truth.

Speak up. If you hear others talking negatively about a person or group, tell them you feel uncomfortable and stand up for the victim.

Apologize. If you hurt someone or mistakenly do something you shouldn’t have, a sincere “I’m sorry,” without excuses, is the first step to moving forward.

Relax. Nobody does friendship perfectly or knows exactly what to do when it comes to making and keeping friends. Take a deep breath and jump right in!

How to Make Friends | Corona, CA

The first day of school is always cause for some nerves. Where will you sit next to, how tough are your classes going to be, the list of worries can be long. But the most nerve-wracking thing is making new friends. Here are some tips to help you out:

Smile. Smiles make you seem friendly and approachable.

Make eye contact. When you look people in the eye, they feel like you’re interested in them and what they are saying.

Say hello. Hello is the first step toward making a new friend.

Reach out. Make a goal to talk to at least one new person a week.

Forget stereotypes. Don’t stereotype schoolmates by the groups they belong to and don’t limit yourself to your current group.

Be involved. Extracurricular activities are opportunities to meet others who like the same things you do.

Be better. The older you become, the more life experience you have, the better your social skills become.

Ask for advice. If you’re having trouble making friends or keeping friends, turn to people you respect and ask for help.

Be a good friend. Treat others the way you want them to treat you.

Be trustworthy. Keep your friends’ secrets and confidences, no matter how tempting telling others might be.

Be truthful. Lying might seem like the easier thing to do, but the truth eventually comes out and makes the situation much worse than if you initially told the truth.

Speak up. If you see someone bring bullied or called names, stand up for the victim and tell someone.

Apologize. If you hurt someone or mistakenly do something you shouldn’t have, apologize.

If you would like to learn more about making friends, contact Simple Acts of Care and Kindness at 866-459-7225 or visit www.simpleacts.org for additional information.

Making Friends in the New School Year | SACK of Corona, Ca

Two young male friends at a playground smiling

Going back to school can spark many emotions. Excitement for a new school year, wondering what the new school year will bring, seeing old friends and finding your way around a new class, schedule, or school. Along with that comes making new friends, a lot of us find it hard to make new friends and it can be a challenge to know ‘what to do’ to meet a new person. Below we’ve pulled 15 Tips on how to make new friends from http://www.thefriendshipblog.com. Read them below!

1) Smile

Smiles make you seem friendly and approachable. They make others feel special.

2) Make eye contact

When you look people in the eye, they feel like you’re interested in them and what they are saying. People like being respected.

3) Say hello

Greet classmates you haven’t talked to before—even if you’re shy, even if the person seems intimidating, and especially if they’re in different groups than you. Hello is the first step toward making a new friend.

4) Reach out

Make a goal to talk to at least one new person a week. Some of the best friends arise from unexpected places and people.

5) Forget stereotypes

People (including you) are more than the group with whom they hang; they are more than the labels others give them. Don’t stereotype schoolmates by the groups they belong to and don’t limit yourself to your current group (if you are part of one).

6) Be involved

Volunteer at school in or the community. Join clubs or sports that interest you. Extracurricular activities are opportunities to meet others who like the same things you do.

7) Be better

You don’t have to be the same as you were last year. If you were shy, you can push yourself to be more talkative. If you were unfriendly, you can be nicer. The older you become, the more life experience you have, the better your social skills become. Use your maturity for your benefit.

8) Ask for advice

If you’re having trouble making friends or keeping friends, turn to people you respect. Seek out a parent, older sibling, teacher or school counselor to talk about your difficulties. They can give you helpful suggestions to solve your difficulties.

9) Be a good friend

Treat others the way you want them to treat you. Even if someone treats you poorly, try not to use that as a reason to return the negativity.

10) Be a good friend to yourself

Don’t talk more harshly to yourself than you would a friend. Nobody is perfect, even if they look that way on the outside. When you’re unkind to yourself, it shows in how you present yourself to the world. You deserve the kindness you give others.

11) Be trustworthy

Keep your friends’ secrets and confidences, no matter how tempting telling others might be. Gossiping may seem harmless at the time, but it causes hurt feelings and fights, and ends many friendships.

12) Be truthful

Lying might feel less scary, easier, or even better but more often than not, the truth eventually comes out and makes the situation much worse than if you initially told the truth.

13) Speak up

If you hear others talking negatively about a person or group, tell them you feel uncomfortable. If you see someone bring bullied or called names, stand up for the victim. Tell a teacher or someone in authority if the bullying doesn’t stop or if it’s a pattern. Keep telling until someone listens to you.

14) Apologize

If you hurt someone or mistakenly do something you shouldn’t have, a sincere “I’m sorry,” without excuses, is the first step to moving forward.

15) Relax

Nobody does friendship perfectly or knows exactly what to do when it comes to making and keeping friends. Do the best you can. Every new day is an opportunity to be better than you were yesterday.

Remember, always be yourself & enjoy the new school year!

For more information call us at 866-459-7225 or visit our website athttp://simpleacts.org