Can you remember the first friends you made as a child? Was it as young as kindergarten or preschool? Have you kept in touch with those friends, or at least still think of them fondly? It is interesting; most folks I ask can.

In a 1990 book by Selman and Schultz, the authors transpose Piaget’s classic developmental stages to the development of friendships. To them, “Level 0 Friendship” covers the approximate ages of 3-6, which they term “momentary friendships: I want it my way.” The authors designate “Stage 1 Friendship,” covering roughly the ages of 5-9, as “One-Way Assistance: ‘What’s In It For Me?”. In the authors’ perspective, it is not until the beginnings of adolescence that young people can develop “Intimate, mutually shared relationships” based on empathetic ability, which the authors deem necessary for true friendships. Notably, the authors did not designate a stage of friendships for infants and toddlers.