Starting preschool is a big and exciting milestone for your child, and for you, too! For the first time, your little ones are surrounded by other children, learning, playing, and making new friends.
Every child reacts differently in this new environment. Some kids quickly jump in, chatting and playing with ease, while others may feel shy or unsure about how to join in. As parents, every parent wants their children to feel happy, confident, and connected, and that often starts with helping them build strong friendships.
Friendships in nursery school aren’t just about fun and playtime; they teach children essential life skills like sharing, taking turns, solving problems, and expressing their feelings. To help you support your little one as they adjust to preschool and make friends, here are five easy and practical tips to help your child make friends and build meaningful connections.
5 Tips to Help Your Child Make Friends in Preschool/Kindergarten
Here are some tips to help your child make friends in preschool or kindergarten:
1. Encourage group play activities
It becomes very easy to make connections when children share interests. If you provide a fun group activity, it will be easier for them to bond and work together. They will understand how to work together in teams and negotiate.
It is also recommended that you enrol your child in a preschool that focuses on holistic development. Preschools that focus on holistic development nurture every aspect of a child’s growth — physical, emotional, social, and intellectual. They go beyond academics to help children build confidence, curiosity, empathy, and communication skills, laying a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
2. Model positive social behaviour
It is well known that children observe their parents and learn from what they see. Thus, it is important to model positive social behaviours so that they learn how to communicate properly. Make sure you express empathy, solve conflicts, and talk politely when interacting with other adults. You can teach your child the importance of respect and kindness by being polite and offering compliments to others.
3. Appreciate and acknowledge your child’s effort.
When your child comes and tells you that he made a new friend or even had a talk with a new student, make sure to appreciate and praise them. You need to show them how proud you are that he’s trying to make new friends. By being generous and appreciative, you will encourage your child to keep trying. This will build their confidence, motivating them to show this positive behaviour even more.
4. Role play
In many cases, the child does not know how to approach someone or ask other kids to play with them. You can help them by giving simple instructions and role-playing by approaching an existing child. You can show your child how to approach them and invite him to play. In addition, it is also important to teach your child how to deal with a ‘no’.
5. Encourage emotional understanding
Early learning is a crucial stage for children, as they’re still learning to understand each other’s emotions. Thus, you need to teach them to recognise and respond appropriately to these emotions. Children should have this emotional awareness, as it allows them to relate to others’ feelings and behave accordingly. This sense of empathy will help them create good bonds with their friends and strengthen their friendships.
Conclusion
Encouraging your children to make friends in nursery school is an important task that requires patience and guidance. We all know that every child is different. Some are chatty, while others are quiet. Thus, these preschool teachers are ready to support each child’s social journey. If you are looking for the best preschool in Siliguri, don’t miss the admission form for nursery or kindergarten programmes.
