Development: Preschoolers

By the time children are preschoolers, they often can work cooperatively with others and make closer friends. They learn to play cooperatively, socially, and even dramatically. They learn that some games require that they take turns and show good sportsmanship. They can use words to assert themselves. Empathic responses when another child is hurt or sad are more common. They also may be in better touch with their own feelings and have greater ability to express them. Preschoolers require rich opportunities for varied relationships and to practice social skills. Preschoolers need to know the limits of appropriate social interactions. They need to know rules for social behavior. What are the best ways to make a new friend, to enter into a group, to ask for help?

At this stage, parents can encourage the broad development of the child's affective vocabulary. Teach positive, internal "attributions" to children. Attributions are the beliefs that children hold about social situations. Children need help to see that they can set reasonable social goals for themselves and that, when these goals are not met, there are things they can do themselves to help reach these goals.

About one-half of young children's requests are greeted with rejection by peers. However, the child must be willing to make additional attempts to make friends through play. A child who is negative and unable to perceive how his behavior impacts the social situation may appear dejected, argumentative, or demanding in efforts to enter into a play activity, furthering rejection by other children.

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