We are enrolling! Join us in nurturing young minds, fostering creativity, and creating a brighter future. We're excited to introduce your child to a world of possibilities! Contact us today for details.
As parents, we want our children to have friends. Unfortunately, there are times when it takes extra work to make friends. Here are some tips to help your preschooler make new friends.
To make friends, one needs to have friendship skills and know how to be a friend.
Preschoolers need to be growing and developing with interactive skills, which include taking turns, sharing, problem solving, being a gracious loser, and listening. These skills will help attract friends.
Talk with your preschooler about what makes a good friend.
This can be done through asking exploratory questions. Do you like it when Max shares with you? What things do you have in common with Sarah? Preschoolers may not exactly know what makes a good friend, but they know what others do that make them feel good or bad.
Take time to get to know other children from your preschooler’s class.
Obtain a list of classmates and learn their names. If possible, you could volunteer to help in the classroom or visit. Otherwise, ask your preschooler specific questions and take note of the answers. Did you play outside with Corban today? Were you able to color with Lucas? Did you do art with Anna? Your preschooler will correct you and fill you in on the details of his day. From that, you can start to gather who he enjoys playing with.
By listening to your preschooler, you may be able to discern others within his class that he gravitates towards. Use that information to schedule play dates. Begin with one or two friends in order to not overwhelm your preschooler as well as be able to oversee how things go. Through play dates, you can also discern which children mix well with your preschooler. It is okay that not everyone pairs well.
Not all children have the same social needs. Some kids will have lots of friends, while others will be content with just one or two. It is okay if your child prefers a smaller peer group. However, since relationships are an important part of child development the extra investment in friendships is well worth the effort.
If you enjoyed this blog, please take a look at our school’s blog page. There you will find blogs on a wide variety of topics that we believe will be beneficial to you and your family.
Want to learn more about Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy of Suwanee located in Suwanee, Georgia? Our mission is to provide secure, nurturing, and educational environments for children ages 6 weeks – 12 years. We help children to bloom into responsible, considerate, and contributing members of society. For more information, give us a call or stop by for a tour! We’d love to get to know you and your family.