Throughout the day we see our Toddlers interact with one another in a variety of ways and we support them to develop strong relationships with their educators, friends, co-players and community. In room 2, I often hear parents’ comment – isn’t it too early for my child to be developing friendships or friendship groups? The honest answer is no, friendships can form at any age, and are more likely to develop earlier in our flexible learning environment where children have access to so many like minded children of a similar age to themselves.
We often find that children who have stronger friendships at Halifax St are more settled during transition times such as drop off, pick up or moving between experiences. Deep friendships, attachments and connections create a richer learning environment although they do not come without challenges. In successfully acquiring these social connections children also need to learn to negotiate, be empathetic, and share; things that need time, and much patience to develop.
To read more on this topic and for advice on how to foster toddler friendships at home see this article – https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/behaviour/friends-siblings/toddlers-making-friends
