Just turned 3 "you're my best friend, you're not my best friend" blah blah blah

[pamelat]

DD just turned 3.

For last couple of months (had the whining for a while) but we now have "you/or so and so are my best friend" and then next minute "you/or so and so are not my best friend" with a very grumpy face

Not worried but god its tiresome!!

I found myself reacting like a 2/3 year old myself. I said the other day "I dont mind if I am your best friend or not" which resulted in tears of "Mummy doesnt want to be my best friend" oooopss,cue reassurance.

When does this bit stop?! and whats next??!

DS is 8 months, hoping boys are easier going than my little drama queen.

Ooooh, can't bear this stuff - I hated it all when I was a child & now with two dds I fear for my & their sanity! When I dropped dd1 (also just 3) off at nursery last time some child that I have literally never clapped eyes on in my life came up to her, took her hand & said "come on dd1, you're my friend, you're my best friend, let's be best friends together". I had to resist the urge to pick dd1 up & find her some uncomplicated boys to play with. Dd1 told me later that the little girl was new at nursery, so I was glad I didn't!

Can you tell I had friendship group ishoooos as a small child

My friend's ds is just like this. I don't think it's necessarily easier or different with boys.

Luckily my 3.8yr old is a philosopher. She rejects the idea of 'best' friends. She quite patiently explained to her grandfather the other day that we're all born equal and it's wrong to pretend you're better than somebody.

Gawd only knows who taught her that. Peppa Pig maybe.

Sounds like another good reason to stick the telly on at every opportunity occasionally

I understand your pain, op. I spend all day with 3 year olds.
We have this a lot, but we just keep saying " we are friends with everyone". It's an instinctive reaction now, a bit like Pavlov and his dogs.

My almost 3 yr old ds has been doing this for the past month or so. It was cute at first but now I am beginning to find it irritating. Especially when I go from being best friend to not approximately 20 times a day. After weeks of trying patiently to agree to be his best friend or to not be, I finally resorted, this morning, to saying,
"But I'm your Mummy and I will always be your Mummy, which is way better than being your best friend. And you are my son, and will always be, which is also better than being my best friend. So being best friends doesn't really mean anything at home."
He looked confused, but it shut him up for a bit. I will try to stick to this line from now on.

oooh yes, I can sympathise, my 3.8yr old dd has been doing this for quite a while with nursery friends, boys and girls - however it's way more dramatic with her girl friends. I feel like I've got a mini teenager some days!