How to Help Your Toddler Make Friends
Start slow., Pick the most appropriate time of day., Schedule playdates., Consider daycare or preschool., Expand your child’s network of potential friends., Encourage the children to play by joining them., Vary the ages of those they play with.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Start slow.
If your child has not had much interaction with other children, consider having just one playmate at a time.
This will allow them to acclimate to playing with others before you introduce more children to the mix.
Once your child has demonstrated that they can play well, you can have up to four playmates at a time., You will want to ensure that your child has the most positive experience possible while at play.
Avoid scheduling a playdate during your child’s regular nap time.
Schedule it after they have had their nap and a snack so they will be at their best., The easiest way to ensure that your toddler begins building friendships is to schedule playdates for them.
Reach out to your friends with children to set up times to play.
If any of your neighbors have children, set up playdates with them.
This will give you an opportunity to make new friends, too.Consider scheduling at least one playdate per week for your child. , Daycare or preschool is also a great option to ensure that your child is getting lots of social interaction with other kids.
Some daycares will allow you to sign up for part-time care if you are not open to your child being there full-time.
This is also a way for your child to meet friends who they can have playdates with. , If you don’t know many others who have children, you can join some parent-child classes in order to meet other parents in the area.
Take your baby to the park to see if you can make any connections with other parents there.
See if your coworkers have children, too., If your child is shy, it might take a while for them to become comfortable about playing with another child.
However, you can encourage play by joining the children on the floor with another parent.
Chat with that parent so your child sees how you are interacting, and perhaps they will mimic you and your tone.By modeling positive social behavior, you can show your toddler that interacting with other people can be fun. , Though you will want your toddler to make friends with other toddlers as well, know that it is okay and even healthy for them to interact with those who are younger and older than them.
Interacting with younger children will give them more opportunities to show empathy and caretaking skills.
Older children can help them learn new skills and can serve as role models for them. -
Step 2: Pick the most appropriate time of day.
-
Step 3: Schedule playdates.
-
Step 4: Consider daycare or preschool.
-
Step 5: Expand your child’s network of potential friends.
-
Step 6: Encourage the children to play by joining them.
-
Step 7: Vary the ages of those they play with.
Detailed Guide
If your child has not had much interaction with other children, consider having just one playmate at a time.
This will allow them to acclimate to playing with others before you introduce more children to the mix.
Once your child has demonstrated that they can play well, you can have up to four playmates at a time., You will want to ensure that your child has the most positive experience possible while at play.
Avoid scheduling a playdate during your child’s regular nap time.
Schedule it after they have had their nap and a snack so they will be at their best., The easiest way to ensure that your toddler begins building friendships is to schedule playdates for them.
Reach out to your friends with children to set up times to play.
If any of your neighbors have children, set up playdates with them.
This will give you an opportunity to make new friends, too.Consider scheduling at least one playdate per week for your child. , Daycare or preschool is also a great option to ensure that your child is getting lots of social interaction with other kids.
Some daycares will allow you to sign up for part-time care if you are not open to your child being there full-time.
This is also a way for your child to meet friends who they can have playdates with. , If you don’t know many others who have children, you can join some parent-child classes in order to meet other parents in the area.
Take your baby to the park to see if you can make any connections with other parents there.
See if your coworkers have children, too., If your child is shy, it might take a while for them to become comfortable about playing with another child.
However, you can encourage play by joining the children on the floor with another parent.
Chat with that parent so your child sees how you are interacting, and perhaps they will mimic you and your tone.By modeling positive social behavior, you can show your toddler that interacting with other people can be fun. , Though you will want your toddler to make friends with other toddlers as well, know that it is okay and even healthy for them to interact with those who are younger and older than them.
Interacting with younger children will give them more opportunities to show empathy and caretaking skills.
Older children can help them learn new skills and can serve as role models for them.
About the Author
Betty Cooper
Committed to making pet care accessible and understandable for everyone.
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