While it's true that you can't do everything for your child, there's no reason you can't guide him down the right path, especially when it comes to making friends. Bonding with others can be a new experience for younger children. Of course, you can lead by example, but there are steps you can take to set your child up for success. In ideal world, your child would have no trouble developing lifelong friendships from the get-go. However, that's not a reality. The first thing you want to keep in mind is that you can't pick your child's friends. There are going to be people who he meshes with and people he doesn't. And don't ever try to push your friend's your children on your child - that's usually a recipe for disaster. If your child isn't the most outgoing little person, take baby steps. You want the experience of building a friendship to be a positive one. When it comes to playdates, two is the magic number and three's company. Keep playdates small. It's usually for two children to get along better than adding a third person.