In early childhood, children interact with each other through simple behaviors such as looking at or touching another child. Babies' social interactions with their partners in life increase in complexity as they engage in repetitive or routine interactions. (For example, rolling a ball back and forth) to engage in cooperative activities such as building a tower of blocks together or acting out different roles during pretend play. Discover the importance of companions!
Through interactions with them, Babies explore their interest in others and learn about social behavior / social interaction. Peer interactions provide the context for social learning and problem solving, including the experience of social exchanges, cooperation, taking turns, and demonstrating the beginning of empathy.
What is the importance of peers or friends of children?
We have already started by saying that interactions leave us with a series of key benefits. But we can clarify that these companions will be a perfect help so that each person, in this case the little ones, can develop both socially and emotionally. That 'help' makes it a whole training to be unwrapping throughout life. Hence we can say that friends are key in all phases and at all ages that we live. It is true that when we are smaller they will be the beginning of new experiences for our development. Now we will see even more of that influence in each person!
How do friendships influence learning?
Although sometimes, in a topic like this, we bring up the comparisons, now it will not be like that. Because we are only going to highlight all the good things about being surrounded by friends since childhood:
- Social interactions with their peers also allow older infants to experiment with different roles in small groups and in different situations, such as interacting with familiar or unfamiliar children. Interactions are stepping stones to peer relationships in life.
- Adults must facilitate the development of a psychologically safe environment that promotes positive social interaction. As children openly interact with their peers, they learn more about each other as individuals and begin to build a history of interactions.
- Babies develop close relationships with children they know over a period of time, such as other children in the family child care setting or in the neighborhood, etc. They become your companions in life. Peer relationships give young children the opportunity to develop strong social connections.
- Babies often show a preference for playing and being with friends, compared to peers with whom they are not in a relationship. There are distinctive patterns of friendship for the infant, toddler, and preschool age groups. The three groups vary in the number of friendships, the stability of the friendships, and the nature of the interaction between friends. (for example, to what extent do they involve the exchange of objects or verbal communication).
Benefits of having colleagues and working as a team
The truth is that first they can be partners, then friends and finally become inseparable throughout life. But we have to go step by step and for this reason, being able to have people around you and being able to share teamwork also leads us to talk about a series of benefits. Do you want to know what they are taking into account the importance of companions?
- Social relationships are improved in general, because more moments must be shared and this makes the ties come to light.
- They will develop critical thinking.
- They will learn to listen and value other opinions.
- They will achieve new goals together and for that, they will give them more importance.
- Without forgetting that it will also make self-esteem is much stronger.
How does not having friends affect a child? The importance of companions!
Sometimes we come across cases of children who have no friends. This it may be due to certain problems when it comes to socializing and will lead to avoiding relationships with their peers. Among them, the one who always wants to be right and commands others, or does not have too much sensitivity with the rest of his colleagues, accuses or perhaps because he is too shy or shy.
Of course, it must be said that it is something very negative. As we mentioned before, it is also the job of adults to be able to promote more interaction between children. Because otherwise, this will affect the child and not only in his school stage, but it is something that will drag him until he is an adult. Which way? Well, having low self-esteem, more loneliness, negativity and maybe even aggressiveness among other symptoms.
How valuable is childhood friendship?
Although we all know that friendships will evolve, we must also mention that they are most valuable. Because those who stay teach us that they have built themselves strong and those who leave, that their time in our lives is over. But we should not be sad for that, but as we say it is another step and another evolution. Many more will come, of that there is no doubt and the important thing is always to learn from all of them.
So, going back to childhood, it must be said that for them it is a way of understanding loyalty and tolerance as well as empathy. They will learn to resolve conflicts and certain problems but always with tolerance and respect. All these values and much more are what our colleagues make us feel and develop at every step.