Social skills are among the most important abilities a child develops during childhood. The way a child communicates, interacts, and shares space with other children directly affects their future ability to function in a group, make friends, and build meaningful relationships.
It’s completely understandable if you’re worried about starting interactions too early or too late.
The importance of social interactions in early childhood
What are a child’s first social interactions, and why pay attention to them? They’re the first attempts to enter into contact, communication, or play with other children. Social interactions are important mainly because they allow the child to develop healthy communication and teach them empathy, sharing, patience, and conflict management.
Psychologists point out that for healthy mental and emotional development, a child needs input from peers. Even if these are simple interactions like “Will you lend me that block?” or just watching one another, these small moments form the foundation of a child’s social literacy.
In contact with peers, the child encounters different approaches, habits, temperaments and learns how to handle them. They learn to understand others, respect differences, and cope with various feelings.
When is the right time to start a child’s first contact with peers?
Many experts address the question of the right timing for a child’s first social contacts. In general, they agree that a child becomes consciously ready to communicate with other children at roughly 6 to 12 months. During this period, children begin to show a significantly greater interest in their surroundings and other children who are similar to them.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that during this period a child must regularly meet peers, but it is a sensitive time when their interest in other children begins to grow, and it is good to acknowledge this natural impulse. Roughly between the first and second year of life, there are more intense attempts to join shared play and communication.
Some children are ready for interactions earlier, for others it takes longer. Always observe your child—their reactions, behavior, and interest. Most of the time, children themselves send clear signals about whether they are ready to meet peers.
Don’t push too hard; instead, find natural opportunities – stroller walks, playgroups, friends with children, visits to kids’ corners, etc.
Risks of premature and delayed social interactions
Let’s start with the risks posed by interactions that come too early. Some children who are not emotionally ready may experience stress, fear, or restlessness. Excessive stimulation in social settings can negatively affect their behavior and cause sleep problems and anxiety.
On the other hand, postponing social contact for too long can also cause difficulties. A child may become insecure in groups and fearful. Adapting to group settings such as preschool or parent-and-child centers is also much harder.
So find a balance and consider your child’s temperament. Then start gradually and gently.
Getting the timing of those first social contacts right is challenging, but you can always try, and if it doesn’t work, don’t force them into anything. Ideal environments are those where children are present but interaction isn’t required, such as playgrounds. You’ll then see for yourself whether your child goes toward other children or stays close to you and interacts only with you.