Can boy-girl friendships last through primary school?

[Bubbinsmakesthree]

DS has started in reception this year and all the friendships he has made are with girls, one girl in particular he has really hit it off with. He’s fairly quiet and a gentle soul and he hasn’t bonded with any of the boys in his class who seem more boisterous.

He is completely happy hanging out with his female friend but I can’t help worrying that friendships will eventually divide along gender lines.

So..anyone got experience of boys and girls maintaining long-term friendships at school to give me hope? Or should I be encouraging him to befriend some of the boys?

My 17 yr old son has always had girls as friends. Pretty much to the exclusion of any boys. He still sees some of the closer girls from primary and then made new girl friends at secondary (he went to a different secondary from his peers).

They all come here for sleep overs and he regularly goes to their houses for sleep overs.

Some of the girls mums in secondary were a bit sceptical at first but got used to it and allowed him to sleep over and not make him sleep in a different room to all the girls.

They can definitely last. My DS2's best friend in reception was a girl. They are still very close now (yr4). He started making more friends around yr1/2 with boys so now has a nice mix. I hope it'll be the same for your DS.

Slightly different scenario to yours but DS's main friendship group in Y4-6 (so years when children's friendships tend to be split on boy/girl lines) was 3 boys and 3 girls.

He's now in Year 11. Of the 2 other boys he is no longer in touch with one, and the other boy and him had a huge falling out at the start of Year 10 and are now on polite terms only. But, whilst we can't even remember the name of one of the 3 girls, he is on good terms with the other 2; one of whom is very much still rated in his close friends.

I am 29 this year and still have my male best friends from nursery! We all meet up at least once a week with our children now.

My DS hates football which every single boy in his class seems to play. All his friends are girls and he's perfectly happy. He's now in year 4.

Interesting thread. DD is currently in year 2 and after 2 years of struggling trying to be friends with the girls (unfortunately not many in her class and quite cliquey) she is now happily part of a group of boys.

I hope it lasts.

Such lovely stories of enduring friendships! I’m not in touch with anyone I was at primary school with so it’s lovely to hear of any friendships that last into adulthood!

DD1 is autistic, and had only male friends all through primary. She liked trains, maths, science, and playing battle games, building tree houses etc. There were only four girls in her class (small village primary), and she didn’t have any shared interests with them. She’s now in a 5 year relationship with a chap she met as an adult.
DD2 had a posse of platonic male friends all through secondary, and still (age 28) goes on group holidays abroad with them as the sole female. She has a separate boyfriend, but met him at work, not school.