This book explores how young children in daycare develop relationships, offering insights into the lived experiences of infants and toddlers. It draws on original research and international studies, using accessible language, examples and photos to illustrate toddlers' interactions and their embodied language of relationships, group-building, and friendship. The first chapter outlines ten reasons to focus on toddler relationships, discussing the theoretical and scientific foundations of peer interactions through social-constructivist theories, participative observation and the capability or agency concept. Subsequent chapters address the relational skills of children from birth, illustrating how they create a rich world in their unique “toddler style”, develop relationships in pairs, build groups and form friendships. ​From strategies like gaze, smile, vocalizing and touch to choosing preferred peers or initiating group games, their social capabilities evolve with age and familiarity. ​ 

The final chapter examines peer relationships in childcare situations and offers practical ideas for educational professionals to support these interactions. ​Through everyday examples, the book highlights the playful nature of toddlers' connections and the sense of togetherness they create. 

Wiebke Wüstenberg is Professor Emerita of Social Work and Social Pedagogy at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences in Germany. She is a widely known expert on early childhood, Pikler-, Reggio- and Freinet pedagogies, child abuse, child protection, children’s rights, childcare, and family centers. She began her professional career as an educator, gaining ten years of experience as a teacher of social pedagogy in various institutions. She then studied pedagogy, psychology, and sociology at Goethe University and graduated in 1973 with a degree in pedagogy. After completing her PhD in 1991, she became a Professor of Social Pedagogy and Social Work at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences. She publishes articles in academic journals and delivers workshops for childcare professionals.

Kornelia Schneider began her career  ̶  after completing her studies in Educational Science passing the First and Second State Examinations to qualify as a primary and secondary school teacher, as well as an examination in additional studies in Social Pedagogy  ̶ , working as a research associate at the German Youth Institute in Munich. As a member of various project teams focused on research and development in the field of early childhood education and care, she gained extensive experience, particularly as an expert on the earliest years of childhood. Since her retirement at the end of 2009, she has remained active in consulting, lecturing, training, translating (from English to German), and writing.