A Toddler’s Friendship

Friends are important to toddlers, but also the source of many disagreements and fighting.

Because toddlers are still pretty much individualistic, they easily get antagonized when their friends or playmates don’t do things according to their likes. Sadly, toddlers’ friends are usually toddlers too, and so that’s why fights are so common when toddlers play together. Each wants his own way. No one will give way.

Joey is a very sociable girl but yet also very domineering by personality, so while she can easily and quickly get other toddlers to play together with her, she demands that everyone listens to her instructions. Even if she is playing with kids who are several years older than her, she is always the one commanding and telling everyone what to do and what game to play next. Many friends have told me that she is obviously a born leader, but I don’t know how that scores in the arena of friendships. Will she still be able to win friends over that way? I just hope that as she grows older and outgrows the individualistic nature, she’ll add charisma to her leadership. :)

It’s therefore very refreshing to see her having some ‘peaceful’ fun with other toddlers. At least they play together for a considerable amount of time before they get into any disagreements or fights of some sorts.

With Dylan and Jennan

Funny how toddlers enjoy taking group photos so much. They probably think it’s some kind of a game. =)

Looks like such a sweet girl, doesn’t she? :) Wait till you don’t lend your toy to her and she tells you sternly, ‘You must share. If you don’t share, Jesus doesn’t like it!’ Wah, even use Jesus’ name, who dare argue?

There is another friend-cum-neighbour, Hann, who plays with Joey regularly. It’s almost like an Standard Operating Procedure (SOP):

1. Hann shouts from his house at his gate, “Joey! Do you want to play?”

2. Joey hears Hann and comes asking me for permission to go out and play with Hann along the corridor.

3. I agree, Hann’s mum agrees and the 2 kids excitedly meets at the corridor to play. They cycle, do coloring together, discover new toys each other has etc.

4. The 2 kids start to argue about something and at some point, escalates to shouting at each other. One of them breaks into tears.

5. Both mums open the gates, and drag their kids back home respectively.

The same cycle repeats day after day.

 

Thankfully, kids have really poor memory especially pertaining to fights with other kids. When they peacefully co-exist, they actually play very well together. Thank God Hann has a milder personality and is willing to ‘submit’ to Joey at times. Haha!

Kids are amazing. Their friendships transcend race and religion, and I think that’s really a good thing. Joey even knows a couple of simple Malay words like sleeping and eating. And Hann’s spoken English has also improved after playing with Joey. Quite good leh! Haha!

I sometimes let Baby Jayne watch them from inside the house, and she would probably join them when she grows older!