When early friendships are successful, young children get the chance to master sophisticated social and emotional skills, even more than they do with a parent. When parents relate to a child, they do a lot of the work, figuring out what the child needs and then accommodating those needs. However, this is not usually the case when two children are interacting.
The benefits of early friends are long-lasting. Children who had a positive relationship with a best friend before the birth of a sibling ultimately had a good relationship with their sibling that lasted throughout adolescence. And children who as preschoolers were able to coordinate play with a friend, manage conflicts, and keep an interaction positive in tone were most likely as teenagers to avoid the negative sibling interaction that can sometimes launch children on a path of anti-social behaviour. From birth, parents can nurture and help develop these social competencies (or skills) by making eye contact with their babies, offering toys and playing with them.
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