The First Friend They Don’t Meet at Home: Preschools and the Common of Social Firsts
We tend to think of preschool as where learning starts. But what if we looked at it, instead, as the home of the start of a relationship? Ok, not just to teachers or books, but to other little humans. Little strangers who will not share crayons. Who eats the red jelly first. Who might shove, laugh or hug too hard. Who randomly becomes your child’s first best friend…or first heartbreak. This isn’t about academics. It’s about something even more formative: learning how to belong outside of home. At home, kids are the heart and soul of the planet. They also meet the idea that other people have feelings. That turns are shared. That loud does not always mean heard. That ‘I’m sorry’ is for more than just speaking – it can repair things. These are not textbook lessons. They’re emotional blueprints. Social Gymnastics in Sandpits Take a look at any preschool playground and you’ll see magic and mayhem. A child builds a sandcastle. Another stomps on it. There are tears. There is negotiation...