Friendship Boundaries 

This month, our 4th and 5th graders learned about friendship boundaries; what they are, why they matter, and how to respond when a boundary is crossed. We discussed that friendships are wonderful, but even good friends sometimes make mistakes. Knowing how to handle these moments helps friendships stay healthy and respectful.

Students explored several common friendship myths through a true/false activity, such as:

• Friends don’t have to do everything together

• Even close friends argue sometimes

• Apologizing is important

• It’s okay to have more than one best friend

• Friends can still have privacy and personal space

We then learned that boundaries are like invisible lines that help us understand what is respectful and what is not within a friendship.

Types of Friendship Boundaries We Discussed

Students practiced identifying when each boundary is being respected or crossed:

• Joking Boundary:
  Fun, friendly teasing vs. mean or hurtful jokes

• Touching Boundary:
  Kind, gentle touch vs. rough, unwanted, or hurtful touch

• BFF Boundary:
  Enjoying close friendships vs. excluding others or being controlling

• “Do This” Boundary:
  Making suggestions vs. bossing or demanding

• Chit-Chat Boundary:
  Saying positive things about a friend vs. gossiping or sharing private information

We practiced using real-life scenarios to decide which boundary was crossed, how the person might feel, and what a respectful response could look like.

What Students Learned

• Healthy friendships include honesty, respect, and space

• Boundaries help protect feelings and keep relationships safe

• Everyone crosses a boundary sometimes, what matters is recognizing it and fixing it

• Good friends listen, apologize, and problem-solve together

Try this at home:
Ask your child, “Which friendship boundary did you think was most important, and why?”