During early childhood, the social behaviour of the child exhibits a progressive change from individualization towards socialization. In the company of other children who are brought into the child’s life, he believes ‘what is mine is mine’ but he also starts gaining in understanding of the fact ‘what is yours is yours’. As the child approaches his fourth year, he comes to realise that ‘what is mine is yours also’ and likes to share or exchange his toys with his playmates. He also becomes sensitive to the attitudes of others around him. He also begins to regard himself as a member of a social group in which he takes pride.
Early childhood is an important period of a child’s life. Habits of social response developed during the pre-school years continue for long. The children of both sexes learn to play together. This helps them to live a healthy group life. Some of the important forms of social behaviour during this period are negativism, rivalry, quarrelling, teasing, cooperation and social approval.
According to Appeal, children of four years of age quarrel more in comparison to those of two years of age. Green is of the view that boys are more combative while this tendency in girls is limited to oral quarrel only. A good nursery school serves as a good agency for developing healthy social behaviour in a child in his early childhood.