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Home Learning - A parent’s guide to…friendships

Having friends is important in life. Penny Tassoni explains how children form friendships and ways to help them do so

Most parents want their children to grow up and have friends. This is because having a friend or two in life can see you through the good as well as the bad times. For young children, learning how to make friends and play with others is a journey that really gets going from around three years old. By the time most children start Reception, friendships are a serious matter.

FIVE INFLUENCES ON CHILDREN’S FRIENDSHIPS

1. Age

The age of your child is likely to affect their ability to form and maintain friendships. This is because there are several skills that children have to master which are developmental. This means that while babies do not really have friends as such, children between three and four years start to have clear preferences for playmates.

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