Your child’s first days of school can be some of the most memorable days of their early childhood. Even if your child has attended preschool , starting school marks an important developmental milestone. Perhaps for the first time, they are spending the whole day away from home and outside their comfort zone. They may be attending a new school with all or mostly new faces too.

These first days of school can also be bittersweet for parents. Your “baby” is growing up and becoming more independent. This is equal parts exciting and unsettling. You can’t wait to watch your child develop into their own person, but you also know there will be bumps along the way that you can’t protect them from.

The good news is the friendships kids make during their preschool and kindergarten years will become a great support system.

Although the benefits of friendship for early childhood development are sometimes overlooked, friendship can have a tremendous impact on mental and physical health. Let’s look at the benefits and what parents and caregivers can do to nurture these early childhood friendships.

Research shows that establishing friendships is an important developmental goal for children under the age of seven.

Friendships developed during the preschool and early school years give children valuable contexts in which to learn and practice skills related to social, cognitive, communicative, and emotional development.

For example, by learning how to navigate their early childhood friendships, children learn:

• How to be sensitive to the viewpoint of others
• How to use standard rules of conversation
• What constitutes age-appropriate behavior

Additionally, the benefits of friendship for children are similar to the benefits of having friends as adults. Friendships benefit children by creating a sense of belonging and security and reducing stress.