The moment you are in
Friendship
Friends are often different from us, and the friendship works anyway. Stories about friends who disagree are a good way to talk about what each person is good at.
By Lundbo. Last updated November 1, 2026. Sources are listed at the end.
What helps
- Preschoolers learn to take turns and share in small groups, and begin interacting with other children rather than only playing side by side.1
- Show by your own example how to handle conflict peacefully.1
- Say how the other child feels: "She is sad because you took her toy car." Children learn kindness and care by watching how you treat others.2
- Make room for play. It is where much of this practice happens.3
Talking about a story
Ask what each friend in the story was good at. Ask how the friend helped when things went wrong. Notice small acts of care in your own day and say them out loud.
About our stories
In Snip Gets Stuck, Snip rushes ahead and gets stuck as the tide turns, and Stilts's plan only works with what Snip knows. It ends on a joke, not a lesson. Quill Line and Plan First! are about siblings and friends who play differently. All are our own tellings, made for ages 4 to 8.
Stories for this
Sources
- Social Development in Preschoolers: Learning How to Share & Cooperate, American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org), December 5, 2024
- How to Help Your Child Develop Empathy, ZERO TO THREE, February 1, 2016
- The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children, Yogman M et al., American Academy of Pediatrics, Pediatrics 142(3):e20182058, 2018