Their self-esteem is high, which supports their enthusiasm for mastering new skills. Cognition, language, and warm, sensitive parenting support these developments. During the preschool years, peer interaction increases, cooperative play becomes common, and children form first friendships. Preschoolers learn to resolve conflicts with new social problem-solving skills. Peer relations are influenced by parental encouragement and the quality of sibling ties.
Peers provide an important context for the development of a wide range of social skills.
While most researchers now disagree with Freud's account of conscience development, the power of inductive discipline is recognized. Social learning theorists believe that children learn to act morally through modeling. A third voice, the cognitive-developmental perspective, regards children as active thinkers about social rules. Hostile family atmospheres, poor parenting practices, and heavy viewing of violent television promote childhood aggression, which can spiral into serious antisocial activity. Gender typing develops rapidly over the preschool years.