In the first year, how do babies typically interact with peers?

• A. Babies will show interest in peers and initiate contact, but little prolonged play will result.
• B. Babies will form sustained peer groups.
• C. Babies will avoid all peer interaction.
• D. Babies will perform complex social games.

Answer: (A)

In the first year, babies show budding social interest and will sometimes initiate contact with peers, such as by smiling, reaching, or babbling toward them. But their attention is short and interactions are not sustained or highly coordinated; they typically need caregiver support and guidance, and play with peers is not yet prolonged or complex. Sustained peer groups and advanced social games come later, as children develop longer attention spans, greater motor skills, and more sophisticated social understanding. So the best description is that babies show interest and initiate contact, with only brief, limited peer interaction.