I noticed something very interesting at the center today. There are two children that we’ve been struggling to really work with. Despite our best efforts these children were a challenge and would create trouble for us. One of these children pointed out to me today how he had not been getting into any fights and had not been using bad language the past few days. He pointed out how he had made friends with one of the new children and as a result he was able to stay out of trouble. I noticed that the other child too had found a play mate and was a lot more comfortable at the center as a result.  We are aware of the social dynamics of the space but this is something that I have not particularly thought about as much. When I step back and look at it I realise now that many of the children who are dependent on facilitators are ones who have not been able to make friends. These children tend to be a lot more demanding in terms of attention. I also noticed that many of the friendships at the center are not ones where the friends treat each other equally. In many cases it is almost as though one person is subservient and dependent on the other.  The center can be a valuable place for learners to make friends and find a sense of community. Perhaps it might be worth it for us to really spend some time to think about how we can make these friendships naturally emerge and try to facilitate them. A good friend can have a profound impact on a person and maybe we can also help the children have healthy relationships with each other.