My son Phillip was upset when his best friend from first grade moved away during the summer. I, too, was disappointed. I was sure Phillip would be lost without his buddy. But a few weeks into second grade, Phillip had a new best friend and couldn't even be persuaded to write to his former pal.
Young children equate physical closeness with friendship.
For a young child, a friend is someone he plays with regularly. When they're apart, the friendship fades. The flip side of this seeming fickleness is that children this age tend to make friends quickly. Even if your child begins the school year knowing few classmates, he's likely to develop friendships with relative ease. But don't expect your child's friendships to be ideal.