How to Teach a Toddler to Get Along With Peers

Toddlers begin to develop social behavior by learning how to interact with others. Gwen Dewar, PH.D., author of the website ParentingScience.com, points out research shows that parents play a major role in teaching young children how to make friends. Parents can help by getting kids to express their feelings as well as identify with how other people feel. Developing good peer relationships is a prerequisite for a child being ready to start school.

Instructions

    • 1

      Explain the importance of taking turns. Encourage your toddler to consider the feelings of others so that she learns to see things from their perspective. If your child gets upset because she has trouble waiting her turn, ask her to try to imagine how her playmate would feel if she didn̵7;t get a chance to play.

    • 2

      Tell your child you understand how he feels. Showing empathy usually makes a child feel better, notes Children̵7;s Hospital of Pittsburgh. When your toddler and another child are fighting over a toy, find out why each child is upset. Explain that by sharing the toy, they will have more fun playing together.

    • 3

      Set a good example by modeling appropriate behavior. If you want your child to get along with others, she must see you doing the same. Look for opportunities to teach your toddler how to cooperate with others. Praise her for sharing and being a good friend. Let her know how pleased your are each time she does something right, suggests PBS.org.

    • 4

      Encourage your toddler to play with other children his age. Host frequent play dates at your home so that he learns how to interact with others. Start by inviting one child over at a time, suggests Children̵7;s Physician Network. Supervise the play closely so that you can see how your child interacts socially and step in if necessary. As your child grows and matures socially, intervene less so that he learns to resolve conflicts himself.

    • 5

      Watch your own interactions with other adults. If you get angry with someone, allow your youngster to see you handle the situation maturely.

    • 6

      Teach your toddler to recognize different emotions so that he can communicate them. He needs to know how to respond when he̵7;s feeling angry or frustrated. When observing a child playing with others, an article published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children notes his temperament can affect his peer interactions. If your child is struggling to get along with another child, ask him if he is feeling angry or sad.

    • 7

      Share stories with your child about times when you had similar feelings that you needed to work through. Use social stories to help him understand. You can also use role-playing and pretend play to teach your developing toddler valuable social skills.

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