Article source: https:https://kids-first.com.au/the-5-stages-of-childrens-friendships/

Children’s friendship needs and skills change as they grow. Their ideas about what friendship actually is also changes as they develop.

There are 5 stages that children go through as they learn to make and keep friends.

Kids First’s Child Psychologists often refer parents to this 5 step framework by Robert Selman that helps families understand developmental trends in children’s friendships.

We think it’s a useful way to look at what’s normal and what’s not within children’s friendships and hope you do too…

LEVEL 0 Friendship: Momentary Playmates

(Approximate ages: 3-7 years)

Children at this stage view friends as momentary playmates, and their friendships are all about having fun together. Their friends are kids who are conveniently nearby, and who do the same things they like to do.

Children at this stage have very limited ability to see other perspectives. They assume that other children think the same way they do, so they tend to get very upset when they find out that a playmate has a different opinion.

Kids this age typically make comments like “she doesn’t want to be my friend anymore” when their friend wants to do something different to them.

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