When you are two years old, it is very likely that your child will start his first friendship . At this age we cannot expect an unconditional friendship, if not one governed by the verbs to share and discuss. They will be intermittent relationships, without commitment and at the same time passionate.
After enjoying a moment of chasing a lizard together in the park, they can transition without pulling their hair and removing their toys but, a second later, happily sort each one of their pebbles in a corner and alone.
First friends are also her first competitors, the threat to her possessions. They are other beings who spell the word “mine” as loud and clear as they. Finally, they are going to face one of their size! But they are also those others who never ask them “what?” And do not need to use language to achieve an understanding; although, paradoxically, the presence of a friend supposes an impulse in the development of the language.
How do they choose their partners?
It is possible that the meeting point is anything: a ball, the shovel or the puzzle. The child will be in front of the object and, at the same time, in front of another child with whom he shares hobbies. His first friend looks like him and this has the disadvantage, of course, that they both want the same thing, which usually ends with a fight. But from that disagreement, the meeting can be born.
Of course, although they share things, they will not share objectives. They are not yet ripe for their horses to compete against each other, or to chase a common enemy together. They will have fun running without rules, without knowing who is cheating on whom or what the game is about. It is still a year before they share slogans in the way we know. Meanwhile, they rehearse the game in parallel.
The inevitable fights are not negative, quite the contrary. Through them, the norms that govern all relationships are elaborated. Me and you for a while? This way they realize that they can enjoy the toy even if they do not have it exclusively! Others will teach you to be truly generous: what we adults do with them is not usually to share, but to grant or deny.