Early friendships
Up until around age 12, the majority of friendships are built around two or more children who play together because they live nearby, their parents are friends, or it's convenient in some other way. Young children are usually just glad to have someone to play with as long as they can agree on a mutually enjoyable activity.
Adolescent friendships
From the age of 12 onwards friendships change in purpose and how they function. Children will begin to seek greater intimacy and trust in their friendships. As children mature, they will wish to share the changes that they are experiencing with peers who are experiencing the same things. They will begin to search for the safety and security that they have previously experienced with their parents.
Friendships that develop during the teenage years become similar to those we hold as adults. Teens begin to look for friends that they can have an emotional connection with that goes deeper than wanting to play with the same toys, dolls or sports equipment.
However, because developmental changes occur so frequently in their lives, relationships during these years are often fluid. This means that teenagers are likely to have many friendship issues as they work out their own identity and as they mature emotionally, psychologically, physically, and socially.
