Help your Toddler Make Friends

Tosometoddlers,makingfriendscomesnaturallywhiletoothers,eventhepresenceofotherkidsupsetsthem.Likewalkingandtalking,parentsneedtoencouragetoddlerstomakefriendsandbesociable.Fortipstohelpyourchildbondwithothertoddlers,readon.Youmayconsideryourselftobeyourtoddler’sfriend,buttheconfidenceandhappinessthathewillgetwitplayingwithchildrenofhisageisinimitable.Asaparent,youcanhelpdevelopyourchild’ssocialskillsandhelphimbondwithpeers.Justasyouteachyourtoddlertowalk,talkandeat,youneedtoteachyourchildhowtobesociable.Alongwithworkingonthetechniqueofmakingfriends,youwillhavetocreateopportunitiesforyourchildtobondwithchildrenofhisownage.Researchshowsthatchildrenhavetheabilitytomakeandsustainrelationshipsfromthetimetheyare8monthsold!Eveniftheybehaveinanunfriendlyandantisocialmanner,itdoesn’tinanywaydemonstratethattheyareunwillingtomakefriendsorbondwiththeirpeers.Itsimplymeansthattheydonotunderstandhowsocialrelationshipswork.Thatiswhereyoucomein.Youneedtoteachthemhowtoplaywithotherchildren,howtosharetoys,howtomaketheotherchildfeelwelcomeandsoon.Herearesometipstohelpyouteachyourtoddlerhowtomakeandplaywithfriends:InthisarticleSharingJointActivitiesPatienceGoingoutDonotIgnorethemDemonstrateFriendlinessShowAffectionSharing–Toddlersareoftenterritorialanddonotappreciatebeingforcedtosharetheirtoys.Insteadofpressurisinghimtosharehistoys,demonstratehowsharingworksbyplayingwithbothkidsandofferingone’stoytotheotherandviceversa.Chatwithyourchildbeforehandandexplaintheadvantagesofsharingtoys.Youmayhavetosecretlyremindyourchildtosharewithhisplaymate.JointActivities–Helpyourchildoptforanactivitythatiswellplayedwithtwoormorechildren.Whenplaythingsarecommonanddonotbelongtosomeonespecific,sharingbecomeseasier.Moreover,ensurethatyouprovidemorethanoneofthetoysorcrayonsorcostumesthatyouknowaregoingtobeindemand.Whentheyeachhavesimilarofthemorepopularplaythings,morearethechancesofthemplayingtogether.Patience–Havepatienceandgivesufficientopportunitytoyourtoddler.Justlikeadultstakesometimebondingwithothers,kidsalsoneedsometimetogetclosetoeachother.Youneedtohavepatienceandlettheminteractwitheachotherintheirownandnaturalway.Goingout–Encourageyourchildtoplayoutdoors.Takeyourchildoutintheparkoftenandlethiminteractwithotherchildrenofhisage.Whenyourchildwillmeettheseplaymatesoften,hewillautomaticallybondwiththem.DonotIgnorethem–Ifyourfriendiscomingwithherchild,donotignorethetoddlerstospendsometimewithyourfriend.Toddlerscanbenaughtierifignoredandmaythrowtantrumsandbehaveanti-sociallytogetyourattention.DemonstrateFriendliness–Youcandemonstratehowtosharetoysandplaytogethertoyourtoddlerbysittingwiththetoddlersandothermothers.Youcanshowyourtoddlerhowtosharetoysandenjoyplayingtogetherbyplayingyourselfwiththetoddlersandtheirmothers.Yourchildwillfollowyourwayanddothesame.ShowAffection–Justkeepinmindthatinordertoplaytogether,yourchildmusthaveaffectionfortheotherchild.Byofferinghugsandsmilestoyourchild’splaymateyoucanteachhimtowelcomethosewhocomehome.Parentsneedtorememberthattheirtoddler’santisocialbehaviourmaybebecausetheyareparrotingtheirownbehaviour.Childrencopyanddothingstheyseetheirparentsdo.So,ifyouwanttoteachyourchildtobesociable,youneedtobehavesimilarlywiththepeopleyoumeetortheoneswhocometoyourhouse.Youneedtofosterbondingskillsinordertohelpyourchildunderstandwhataffectionis.Doesyourtoddlerinteractwithotherkidseasily?Doesherefusetoplaywithothertoddlersorpreschoolers?Howcanyouteachyourtoddlerorpreschoolertobondandplaywithchildren?Discusshere.

To some toddlers, making friends comes naturally while to others, even the presence of other kids upsets them. Like walking and talking, parents need to encourage toddlers to make friends and be sociable. For tips to help your child bond with other toddlers, read on.

You may consider yourself to be your toddler’s friend, but the confidence and happiness that he will get wit playing with children of his age is inimitable. As a parent, you can help develop your child’s social skills and help him bond with peers.

Just as you teach your toddler to walk, talk and eat, you need to teach your child how to be sociable. Along with working on the technique of making friends, you will have to create opportunities for your child to bond with children of his own age.

Research shows that children have the ability to make and sustain relationships from the time they are 8 months old! Even if they behave in an unfriendly and antisocial manner, it doesn’t in any way demonstrate that they are unwilling to make friends or bond with their peers. It simply means that they do not understand how social relationships work.

That is where you come in. You need to teach them how to play with other children, how to share toys, how to make the other child feel welcome and so on. Here are some tips to help you teach your toddler how to make and play with friends:

• Sharing –

  Toddlers are often territorial and do not appreciate being forced to share their toys. Instead of pressurising him to share his toys, demonstrate how sharing works by playing with both kids and offering one’s toy to the other and vice versa. Chat with your child beforehand and explain the advantages of sharing toys. You may have to secretly remind your child to share with his playmate.

• Joint Activities –

  Help your child opt for an activity that is well played with two or more children. When playthings are common and do not belong to someone specific, sharing becomes easier. Moreover, ensure that you provide more than one of the toys or crayons or costumes that you know are going to be in demand. When they each have similar of the more popular playthings, more are the chances of them playing together.

• Patience –

  Have patience and give sufficient opportunity to your toddler. Just like adults take some time bonding with others, kids also need some time to get close to each other. You need to have patience and let them interact with each other in their own and natural way.

• Going out –

  Encourage your child to play outdoors. Take your child out in the park often and let him interact with other children of his age. When your child will meet these playmates often, he will automatically bond with them.

• Do not Ignore them –

  If your friend is coming with her child, do not ignore the toddlers to spend some time with your friend. Toddlers can be naughtier if ignored and may throw tantrums and behave anti-socially to get your attention.

• Demonstrate Friendliness –

  You can demonstrate how to share toys and play together to your toddler by sitting with the toddlers and other mothers. You can show your toddler how to share toys and enjoy playing together by playing yourself with the toddlers and their mothers. Your child will follow your way and do the same.

• Show Affection –

  Just keep in mind that in order to play together, your child must have affection for the other child. By offering hugs and smiles to your child’s playmate you can teach him to welcome those who come home.

Parents need to remember that their toddler’s antisocial behaviour may be because they are parroting their own behaviour. Children copy and do things they see their parents do. So, if you want to teach your child to be sociable, you need to behave similarly with the people you meet or the ones who come to your house. You need to foster bonding skills in order to help your child understand what affection is.

Does your toddler interact with other kids easily? Does he refuse to play with other toddlers or preschoolers? How can you teach your toddler or preschooler to bond and play with children? Discuss here.