Last month, Ashwini’s best friend, Payton was taken out of the preschool and she started going to another one where her sister goes. Ashwini and Payton were very close friends. They were in the same class with the same teacher for the last 2 and half years. They always used to be together in the class, and in all the activities. When they got to school, they used to search for each other, their faces just lit up with a big smile when they saw each other and they always greeted each other with a big hug.

Ashwini’s teacher and both sets of parents were very worried about this transition. We got them ready for it by talking about the change for about two weeks before it happened. But, we were not counting on the short attention span and short-lived short-term memories of these preschoolers. After Payton stopped coming to school, Ashwini asked about her a few times. She even told me a few times that she missed Payton. But then, the adjustment to life after ‘the best friend’ was seamless. Now, she doesn’t even talk about Payton anymore. There are new friends: Sydney and Annie. These days, Sydney and Ashwini are inseparable, doing everything together. Sydney’s brother is in Adit’s class. So, they visit the infant class together to see their brothers everyday.

After all the changes, Ashwini is now one of the older kids in the class. Now, she is the leader of her small group. She decides what to play and when to stop and do other things. Till just a few months ago, she was the follower. It is very nice to see Ashwini growing up. I think all the social interactions that she participates in at the preschool are going to help her develop her personality and not grow up to be a shy kid.

Update: Thinking about this a little more… I guess small children more easily accept change than adults. It probably gets harder and harder as one ages. It is very difficult for me to make new friends, which was not a big deal when I was in school/college.