Have you ever been in a situation where you feel like you are being a bad friend? Many people feel this way because you are not alone. When talking with Alyssa Babe, a junior at Arrowhead High School, in Wisconsin, she described what you need to be a good friend and even how to be a good friend. She explains that since middle school she has had to deal with many friendship situations where things were not easy, so she started finding ways to go about friendship in a different way. Babe told a story about how she and a group of friends left someone out. She could tell that the other girl was very upset about the situation. Instead of getting upset and blaming others, Babe knew that she had to solve the problem. She reached out to the girl and they worked out what had happened calmly. 

“If you make a mistake, it’s okay. However, you need to communicate in person to avoid a large conflict.”, Babe explained as she talked about how everyone is not perfect and how we are human and we all make mistakes. When you talk through troubling problems when they occur it is easier to solve problems. Babe also mentioned that a key detail in being a good friend is to leave gossip and negativity out of your friendships, it causes drama and can lead to toxic relationships. Babe explains that one of the most important steps in this process is being able to talk to your parents about situations you may come across. Your parents have been through a lot more than you likely have and they can offer up genuine advice in tough situations. Babe acknowledges that there are times when friendships just don't work out because sometimes people just don’t get along. A relationship goes two ways, so being friends with someone willing to be kind and work with you is important. 

It is important to be kind to everyone even if you might not get along with some people. Every situation is different for everyone so using these skills is important, but you will also learn a lot about what works in certain situations and what does not.