Why childhood friends are so special?

Asked by Anonymous
Answered
05/03/2021

From the moment a baby is born into this world, their attempts to connect are apparent through their parents and other caregivers. There is a strict reliance that comes with this relationship that is different than friendships. As babies grow into toddlers, their ability to be curious and engage through parallel play with others happens. This kind of play is the first attempt to connect socially as independents, watching each other play, possibly saying a word here or there, and enjoying each other’s company. It is fascinating to watch young children watch and observe each other with openness and non-judgment. Perhaps one of the most formative years of a person’s life can be entering school. Kindergarten is the first larger experience of organized groups of children for learning, instruction, and play. Once in a while, hearing the stories of those who still have their friends from Kindergarten or grade school is inspiring and quite intriguing to experience. These friendships are like no other, and here’s why.

Playgrounds, play dates, and beyond.

So, what makes these friendships special? For one, many childhood friends find their life-long friends in this way. Commonalities of school and where they live to bring them together. In childhood, it matters very little where you come from culturally and socioeconomically, so when it is observed how well children play together, they play together out of genuine curiosity, acceptance, openness, and natural establishment of universal ‘rules of play. As a former educator of preschool and Kindergarten, another way these friendships are so special is the level of flexibility and forgiveness that is expressed repeatedly as they learn how to work and play together. These childhood friends are also special because these are the building blocks of how adults get along with others in the world, not just friends, but everyone. So, imagine a scenario where a child does not connect well or have many friends throughout school, and you will see a person who is either very self-reliant and perhaps more solitary than others, or someone who possibly feels rejected, left out, or ignored or resentful. An adult does not need childhood friends to succeed, but children who can form these bonds can grow in esteem, communication skills, cooperativeness, and flexibility. An adult simply observing childhood play to feel inspired and gives hope to some trying to make connections in adulthood.

(M.Ed., MA, LPC)