Making friends at 5

5 Year Old Friends

Now that your little one has entered the second year of preschool, he has more or less settled down and has grown to know the other kids in class. At this point, he will also start to learn something that is beyond what is taught in class – friendship.

Home is where the foundation is

Even though your child makes friends in school, home is where he is first exposed to social interactions. So make sure that mummy and daddy are polite and always use the right language at home. This way, your little one will learn from his parents and be well-liked by his peers in preschool.

You’re the coach

Besides setting the right examples, you can also guide your little one on how to make friends. Help him to observe for opportunities, then encourage him to take these opportunities to start conversations like, “Daniel seems to like football. Why don’t you ask him to join you for a game?”

Setting expectations

While you might be the one to teach your child how to make friends, it is important that you know how to manage your expectations on your little one’s social circle. Understand that your little one might not turn out to be a social butterfly like his mummy and might choose to connect with only certain classmates.

Sharing is the key

At this young age, being able to give and share is important in 

making friends. Teach your child how to take turns and soon, your little one will appreciate the joy of giving and sharing with his friends.

Buddies no more

Your little one might get dumped by his friends in school and this is sometimes inevitable. So remember to be a supportive mummy and don’t dismiss your little one’s feelings.

It is also important to go through the situation with your little one. Sometimes, your child might be the one at fault, so you can try to correct the situation. If your little one is not in the wrong, don’t badmouth the other kid no matter how tempting it is. Allow the kids to work it out themselves. Before you know it, they might be friends again!

References:

https://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/preschool_friends.html

http://childparenting.about.com/od/socialdevelopment/a/Your-5-Year-Old-Child-5-Year-Old-Social-Development.htm

http://www.parenting.com/article/making-friends-21334848

http://childhood101.com/2011/05/no-one-will-play-with-me-helping-your-child-make-friends/