Humans are, by nature, social creatures. We seek companionship and friendship whether we are young or old. Establishing friendships at kindergarten or preschool age, is important for the social development of children.
Learning Interaction
Early childhood friendships offer the opportunity to establish healthy ways of interacting with peers. A child can be told how to share, take turns, and respect those around him or her, but until the child has the opportunity to interact with peers, these lessons make little sense. Forming friendships in child care, preschool, or kindergarten allow children to observe how others behave in a non-threatening environment so that they may learn the social interaction skills that are so important as they grow and develop.
Learning About Personal Relationships
Until a child enters child care or preschool, his or her personal relationships are often limited to close family. These types of relationships hold different dynamics from the relationships of friendship. Through the development of early friendship, children learn about bonding with peers of the same age, the boundaries of those relationships, and how to relate to one another on a personal level.
Support Through Learning and Growth
While receiving support from parents and teachers is important for children as they learn and grow, it is not the same type of support that children receive from friends. Childhood friends share in the challenges of learning and growing, and as such, develop empathy toward one another. This teaches children compassion for their friends and helps them to develop confidence in themselves as they begin to understand they are not alone.
Ultimately, childhood friendships offer an opportunity for development that no other relationship can provide. They teach social interaction, bonding, companionship, and compassion-all of which are important life lessons along the road to adulthood.
