How can we help our children navigate the rollercoaster of playground friendships" Georgina Blaskey explains
Even as young as nursery age we may see the first seeds of friendship sown by our children; the simplest pastime, such as a love of Lego or cooking in the toy kitchen, can bind two toddlers together. As parents, we have a role to play in equipping them to understand the importance of connections and cope with disappointment. It?s a journey you can help them with, if you know what to expect.
The stages of friendship
According to psychologist Robert Selman, there are five key stages to understanding children?s friendships:
LEVEL 0 ? ?Momentary Playmates? (age three to seven years)
For these children, their friendships are all about having fun. Their friends are kids who like to do the same things they like to do. Children at this stage have limited ability to see other perspectives, so they may get very upset to find out a playmate has a different opinion. This age group like the idea of having friends, and they definitely have preferences for some people over others, but they?re not so good at being reliable friends. LEVEL 1 ? ?One-Way Assistance? (age four to nine years)
At this stage, children understand that friendship goes beyond whatever their current activity is, but they define friends as children who do nice things for them, such as sharing a snack, though they don?t really think about what they themselves contribute to the friendship. Children at this ...