The Importance of Preschool Friendships

 

The Importance of Preschool Friendships

 

Children's early years are, subconsciously, a wonderful time of learning new things.Preschool attendance can encourage and enhance children's relationships with their peers. During these precious early years they will learn about the give and take of friendships with other children as well as adults around them. These lessons in patience, sharing and give and take will continue to grow as they age and help them meet the social needs in life.

 

 

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Learning to accept and do what other children want to do is a huge step in the right direction. As they start to play with other children they will form friendships. This will lead to learning about sharing, taking turns, being patient and inclusive of everyone. They will also be exposed to the feelings of others and learn to have empathy in situations where a friend is crying or sad. By communicating back and forth with teachers and friends their communication skills will improve. Their imagination skills will also be bolstered as they plan specific rolls and play with friends. Slowly, they will be given little responsibilities to carry, for teachers and for friend groups in class.

HOW YOU CAN HELP!
Be aware of being a positive role model, showing children the right ways to interact with others.

1. Show children how to include others during play
2. Encourage playdates encouraging your child to meet other children
3. Talk to your child and listen to their fears and concerns
4. Provide positive feedback and encouragement when they are apprehensive
5. Model thanks and giving to others

ACTIVITIES TO DO WHEN FRIENDS COME AROUND:
Encouraging free play will be good for their independence and imaginations but you can also include one or two activities for them to participate in together.

1. Pull out the paints and let them choose a theme.   Let them each make their own drawing and choose their own colors to paint it.
2. Let them help you make a snack.   You can cut up some fruit and wash some berries and let them design their own snack faces on the plate.
3. Pull out the blocks and let them take turns building a castle.
4. Friendship Chain: Provide the children with different coloured construction paper with pre-drawn lines and scissors. Ask the children to cut the construction paper into strips. Help the children glue the links together to create a friendship chain.

HERE ARE A FEW SUGGESTIONS OF GREAT FRIENDSHIP BOOKS:

How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends? - By Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

This is the perfect book for teaching your preschooler about how friends are generous, kind, thoughtful and caring.

Friends - By Helme Heine

This is a great book for teaching children about friendship and how to be a good friend – like “good friends are always fair”. The story follows three best friends who go on an outing together, where they pretend to be pirates, discover a boat, pick cherries and play hide-and-seek.

Share and Take Turns - By Sherri J. Meiners

This book is great for the classroom and for at home, that teaches young children on how to get along with others. The book teaches simple lessons on what it means to get along with others and the different forms of sharing (e.g. taking turns or trading).

As preschool children learn the importance of friendship and the ‘give and take’ of relationships, we as parents can support these skills by providing opportunities for children to experience all the aspects of friendship.