Parent Forum

It's a great question because you can't tell just from looking at someone or maybe not even from knowing them for a little while. So how can you tell when someone is a real friend or a fake friend? To answer this question, I asked my best friend, my husband David. Without hesitation he said, "By the way the person treats you!" Excellent answer! I agree. If you are wondering whether your friend is the real kind, there's probably something going on that makes you uncertain about the friendship. Otherwise, you wouldn't be asking the question. Aside from looking at your friend's behavior, there's another piece to figuring out if someone is a true friend or not, and that has to do with the way you feel when you're with that friend. If you feel relaxed, safe, respected, accepted, listened to and comfortable enough to "be yourself," then chances s/he is a real friend. Make sure that you are a real friend too!