Gift Giving
Giving your new friends gifts is fine, but make sure the cost and meaning match with the status of your relationship. If you rush to give your new friend a gift that's better given to someone you've known a while longer, you may freak them out with your eagerness. Instead, opt for smaller gifts given at appropriate times.How Much Time Should You Spend Together?
New friends need time to get to know one another, and often that's done in small doses. Spend frequent but short amounts of time together in order to get acclimated to each other's preferences and habits. Sometimes a quirk that your old friend appreciates may seem odd to a new pal. It's only until they get to know you better that they can understand where you're coming from and why you do the things you do. Let this happen little by little, so your new friend can absorb all the nuances of your personality. In other words? Don't be clingy.
Allow your friendship to progress slowly so you can both feel comfortable sharing and extending trust. Don't smother a new friend with time or attention to the point where you become an irritant rather than a welcome distraction.
Let Your New Friend Express Themselves
Allow people to express their opinions freely, and don't judge them until you understand where they are coming from. Sometimes a person we hardly know will come on strong with an opinion that is totally opposite of ours. But rather than overlook them as a potential friend, give them some time and thought. Put aside your own personal issues so that you can get to know the whole of their personality. You may be surprised at how similar you are in other ways. Besides that, there's nothing wrong with a healthy debate now and then.Allow Your New Friend to See What You're Really Like
You can tell people how honest or funny you are, but they won't believe it until you demonstrate these traits to them. So show people what you're like, don't tell them. If you want people to know you're an honest and sincere person, let them figure that out by behaving in a way that reflects that. Don't tell them "I'm an honest person" because ironically, that makes it sound insincere. Let folks figure out your character and good points all on their own. You never know, you might learn a few great things about yourself you didn't realize before.Give New Friends the Benefit of the Doubt
Let's face it, each friend has a few new quirks that will take you some time to get used to. Rather than reading intentions into situations that confuse you, give your new pal the benefit of the doubt. Never assume they meant something until you know them well enough to be able to gage their moods and intentions.
Overall, banish judgment on people until you know them. This is a good practice for any new person you meet, but especially so for those you'd like to become better friends with. How many people have you not given any thought to with regard to friendship because you: didn't think you'd have anything in common, decided you just didn't like them, decided they wouldn't like you, etc.? This requires a little patience and a kind of "go with the flow" type of attitude. But if you can take it slowly in the early parts of a new friendship, you'll have a better chance of developing a strong bond for a lasting relationship.
