A–Z Glossary

Perspective-taking

Perspective-taking is the developing ability to understand that other people have feelings, needs, boundaries, and viewpoints.

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How kids handle disagreements

How kids handle disagreements

Why disagreements are part of normal development Children are learning how to be separate people while still staying connected to others. That developmental task creates friction. A child may want the same toy, the same seat, the same turn, or the same attention as someone else, and the resulting disagreement is often a first lesson […]

Handling peer conflicts children

Handling peer conflicts children

Why peer conflict is a normal part of childhood Children do not build friendship skills in a straight line. They test boundaries, misread intentions, want the same toy, or feel hurt by a comment and react quickly. In this sense, peer conflict is part of learning how to negotiate membership in a group. Developmental research […]

Peer pressure in children explained

Peer pressure in children explained

What peer pressure means in childhood Peer pressure is any influence children feel from classmates, friends, teammates, or other children in their social circle. It may be direct, such as a child saying, “Do this or you cannot play with us.” It may also be indirect, such as noticing that everyone else is laughing, wearing […]

Repairing a friendship after hurt feelings

Repairing a friendship after hurt feelings

Why hurt feelings can linger in a child Friendship hurts often last longer than adults expect because the social brain treats rejection and conflict as threats to belonging. Children may show tearfulness, irritability, clinginess, withdrawal, or repetitive talking about the event. These reactions are not proof that the child is “too sensitive”; they are common […]

Teaching children that friendship does not require constant agreement

Teaching children that friendship does not require constant agreement

Why disagreement is part of friendship Children are still learning how to manage desire, fairness, and frustration. That means even close friends will sometimes want different games, different rules, or different turns. Research on middle childhood shows that conflict can be a normal feature of friendship, and it may even happen more often among friends […]

Building honesty in children

Building honesty in children

Honesty is a developmental skill, not just a rule Adults often think of honesty as a moral decision: either a child chooses the truth or chooses a lie. That is partly true, but incomplete. From a developmental perspective, honesty depends on several capacities that mature gradually: impulse inhibition, perspective-taking, memory, language, emotional regulation, and the […]

Modeling behavior and teaching respect children

Modeling behavior and teaching respect children

Respect begins with what children experience Children do not learn respect only from being told, “Be respectful.” They learn it from the tone adults use when frustrated, the way family members talk about neighbors or service workers, whether adults interrupt, and how mistakes are handled. Michigan State University Extension emphasizes that preschoolers learn respect through […]