Imagine the scene. It is home time. There are two questions that most parents ask at this point: 'what have you done?', followed by 'who did you play with?' While most parents become used to the child replying 'nothing' to the first question, the same is not true when it comes to friends. Even the most level-headed parent is likely to be slightly anxious when their child complains that they had no-one to play with. So, at what age should children have friendships, and is there anything that we can do as parents to help our children?
While most two-year-olds are not necessarily good at sharing, they can be very interested in other children. The term 'parallel play' was coined to express the way that we might see two or three children of a similar age engaged in the same activity. Across a pile of Duplo bricks, they may exchange glances, smile and particularly copy each other. Thus, as soon as one child starts to throw the bricks, another one will join in too.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here