Friendiquette! How To Show Your Besties How Much You Care

Do You Have Good 'Friendiquette'?

By Adrianna ParkerAdrianna is a senior at Homewood-Flossmoor. She’s a student reporter for The Mash, a weekly teen publication distributed to Chicagoland high schools.

Let’s face it, as much as we love our friends, sometimes we don’t appreciate them the way we should. Not sure how to handle a situation? Try these tips.

Scenario: It’s short notice, but you overslept and you really need a ride to school. You text your best friend and ask for a ride. They come to pick you up without complaining about it.

Do the right thing: Offer them a few bucks. Just because you’re best friends that doesn’t mean you should take advantage of their kindness. Without them you’d be late for school! If they don’t take the money, how about you take them out for lunch?

Scenario: Homework time! Just as you’re about to dig into that giant stack of homework on your desk, you realize you don’t fully understand the assignment. You text a random kid in your class.

Do the right thing: Don’t make this student feel like you’re using them. Make sure you show how much you appreciate their help. Text them back a super-grateful “thank you” and then get back to your studies. You should also say thanks again in person the next day at school.

Scenario: Your boyfriend or girlfriend invites you to watch one of his or her games. You don’t want to sit in the stands alone, so your best bud volunteers to go with you.

Do the right thing: Offer to buy them a snack from the concession stand. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive, but it’s a sign that you appreciate their company.

Scenario: Your friend invites you over for a huge family dinner. By the time the meal is over, the sink is piled high with dishes.

Do the right thing: Of course it’s not the first time you’ve been to their house, but offer to help with the clean up anyway. After all, they did just feed you.

Scenario: Oh, no! It’s your friend’s birth month and you can’t remember which day they were born. It’s not on Facebook either. Is it time to panic?

Do the right thing: Lighten the mood and turn the inevitable question into a joke. Then, since you were being such a bad friend by forgetting their birthday in the first place, make up for it with something huge. Buy them their own personal birthday dessert! Everyone loves food.

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