Early friendships (ages 3-6) are often based on similarity and shared attention, AND full of emotional bumps and bruises. Though many parents can feel the pain of friendship's ups and downs on behalf of their children, you can help them to support friendship development with these three tips.

1. Talk about feelings and thoughts of others (perspective-taking): Suggest that families discuss characters in stories, family members, or strangers, and wonder aloud about their feelings and thoughts.
2. Practice understanding and making facial expressions: Recommend that parents use pictures or books to help children identify and understand different emotions expressed through facial cues.
3. Support problem-solving and manage difficult feelings: Remind parents to encourage forgiveness and discourage negative talk about others (and recognize the power of their own behavior in modeling).