It's important for your child to be able to make friends and get along with other children. However, it takes time for children to learn these skills. Toddlers, especially, find it hard to share, and young children may be more comfortable staying with you than playing with other children.

You can help your child learn to get along with other children by playing with him, encouraging pretend play, back-and forth communication and explaining other people's points of view.

By the age of three, if not before, your child should have regular opportunities to play with groups of children. Children need time to experiment and practice ways of getting along. Playing with a smaller group, having supportive adults on hand and fun activities to do, will go a long way towards making it easy for your child to play with others.

If your child has a lot of difficulty playing with other children by the age of four - perhaps she is being rejected or ignored by others - consult your child's physician. If you are in Canada, and you wish to speak to a counsellor about this, contact Parent Help Line, 1-888-603-9100.