Have you ever built something with a friend — a den, a tower of blocks, a team goal in football? Chances are it worked better because you worked together.
Working together as a team
Cooperation means working together towards the same goal. In the classroom, that might mean sharing pencils for a group project. On the playground, it might mean passing the ball so your team can score. A group that cooperates gets more done, and has more fun doing it, than people working alone or against each other.
When we disagree
Even the best of friends do not always want the same thing. Maybe two friends both want to be first in line, or one wants to play tag while the other wants to play hide and seek. Small disagreements like this are completely normal — everyone has them. What matters is how we sort them out.
Three steps to sort it out kindly
Here is a simple way to solve a small disagreement fairly:
Put these three steps in order:
- Listen calmly to what the other person wants and why
- Say what you want too, using kind words, not shouting
- Find a fair solution together, like taking turns or a quick game of rock-paper-scissors