Your post raises valid points. I spent a lot of time with my parents and their adult friends as a child as well as time with other kids. I think the time spent with the adults taught me many values including respect, conversational skills and manners all of which are key elements in friend-making as a child, young adult and eventually adult.

Your point on learning what the child's friends' parents are like is a good one however finding out that information can be problematic I think. Possibly the best place to start is involving the child in sporting or social clubs. Not only does it keep kids active and off video games, it will surround the child with kids with similar interests. Soccer for instance.

In this day and age finding suitable friends must be very difficult for children considering all the complications like online bullying and media influence. I was quite a shy kid so I'm glad I'm not out there as a kid these days looking for friends. It must be so hard.