Your child’s first days of school can be some of the most memorable moments of their early childhood. Even when children are attending preschool, starting school marks an important developmental milestone. As children attend school, they develop important social, emotional and cognitive skills by interacting with their peers and developing friendships. The friendships you and your children make during their preschool and kindergarten years become a great future support system. It is important for parents to help children foster these friendships as it presents many benefits for their development.

Here are some benefits of fostering friendships in children:

• Social Skills Development: Taking turns, listening actively and resolving disagreements.
• Empathy and Perspective Taking: Understanding different viewpoints, developing empathy and considering others’ feelings.
• Communication Skills: Playing and interacting with friends helps children refine their communication skills, including expressing their needs, listening attentively, and navigating conversations.

Here are some ways that parents can help kids develop positive, rich friendships:

1. Model Friendship Skills. Children often model most behaviors from the adults in their lives and the same can be said from them watching adults interact with their friends. Be sure to model good behavior and respect whenever you interact with your friends, especially around children. If you have friends who you’ve known since you were your child’s age, point this out and let your kids know how important these long-standing early childhood friendships are.
2. Encourage Friendships That are Important to Your Child. If your child establishes an important relationship that they are excited about, support it, even if they now attend different schools. For example, if your child has a friend from preschool and they now attend a different kindergarten, schedule playdates to see these friends. Even if the are infrequent, it helps them feel connected and broadens their circle of friends.
3. Respect Your Child’s Personality. It’s important to let your child be who they are when it comes to making friends. Some children may be social butterflies and may choose to have many different friends while others are happy with having just a few close friends. What’s important is to celebrate your child’s unique personality and specific needs.