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Choosing Friends
An Experience in Social Development By Sharon Waldrop
Friends are special they enrich our lives and make us laugh. They are the stars of yesterday's joyful memories, and we eagerly look forward to seeing them tomorrow. A good friend is a blessing and something for which to be thankful.
Friendships are an important part of each stage of our lives. During the early years, initiating and nourishing a friendship is a step along the path of social development. This path changes as children mature, but those first steps set the foundation for social interaction in the future.
Babies and toddlers play with friends chosen by their environment and parents. Playmates are usually relatives, neighborhood tots and the children of their parents' friends. When a child enters preschool, he is in an environment that allows him to pick and choose his special playmates based on mutual interest, compatibility or temperament.
Lisa Van Doren of Oceanside, Calif., says her son, Zack, immediately made friends with a boy named Luke in his preschool class. Luke has a twin sister, Zoe, who has a best friend named Zandra. The four children, Zack, Luke, Zoe and Zandra, became inseparable soon after meeting. "Luke told the teacher he wanted to be called 'Zuke' so he would have a 'Z' name too," Lisa says. "He will correct us if we say, 'Good morning, Luke.'"
Jay has "bonded by choice with the girls in his class," says his mother, Laura Forbis, of Jefferson City, Mo. "Jay seems to be the future husband of choice." He has especially bonded with a little girl named Lauren. The two preschoolers have hosted play dates for each other at their respective homes.