Helping your child get ready to make friends!
As young children develop, they begin to interact with others more and start to join in with playful activities. For some children this happens effortlessly, but for others this can be a very daunting time.
As parents and carers we can help our children get ready to make friends and join in.
Supporting your child throughout social play is really important. It will offer your child help when they are struggling to deal with a situation with their friends, such as sharing. As the parent you can be the role model, talk to them about how to resolve the issue and strategies they can use.
Top tips:
- Start small and gradually build up: meet for small play dates perhaps with one other friend and their child, then build up to going to baby and toddler groups
- Avoid putting pressure on your child to join in group situations: allow them time to watch and become confident with joining in when they are ready
- Help your child learn to take turns by allowing them to practise with you: start simple with rolling balls to each other, or sharing a bowl of snacks, and use words such as ‘my turn’ ‘your turn’
- Keep expectations realistic: when your child finds it difficult to share, try to stay calm, get down to their level and use the words they are used to hearing like ‘my turn’ ‘your turn’.
- Give your child opportunities to join in activities with other family members: baking cakes as a family is a great way to share tasks and work together
