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If they hope to be popular with their playmates, small children have to give them a shoulder to cry on. According to a bulletin from the Capable Kid Report, the children most likely to succeed with classmates are those who are most sensitive to the feelings of others, especially in emotional moments.
The report, put out by the Capable Kid Counseling Center in Evanston, cites a study by researchers at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. They found that the most likable children are the ones who can recognize signs of distress and comfort troubled friends.
Even for a child as young as 3, the ability to differentiate between happy and sad is a sign of normal development. But this can vary from child to child, according to age and sex.