Ms Suzanne Connolly:

That is a tricky one because children have to be able to make their own friends, and they will make their own friends. We cannot expect a child to be friends with everyone. One has to help a child who is feeling excluded and neglected to develop their social skills. It depends on the context. I am conscious I am being very general. Sometimes a friendship group can be created around a child but, ultimately, if a child is feeling he or she is not developing friends in school, I often advise parents to try to get the child to have an interest where the child would have a natural forming group of peers. Many of us will know from being at school that a child's friendship groups change over time and he or she has to negotiate. It is a matter of listening to one's child, being supportive and giving them confidence. I would be interested to know what Mr. Holmes thinks about this. Gradually children have to make their own friends. That is the reality.