Getting along with others and being able to form satisfying relationships with peers and adults is at the centre of emotional and physical well-being. Friendships provide opportunities for children and youth to master social skills, increase learning and establish positive behaviour. Learning the skills and competencies needed in order to develop and maintain successful relationships is a process that starts in infancy with the first critical relationship - the relationship between the caregiver(s) and the infant and then continues through development with adults supporting increasingly complex social interactions that children and youth encounter in their various environments.

 

A healthy caregiver-child relationship forms the template for future peer relations and friendships; however, while friendships take on an increasingly important role in late childhood and adolescence, they do not act as a substitute for caregiver-child attachments. Both healthy connections to peers and adults are necessary for child and youth development.