DS1 started reception this year and he is really struggling socially (although seems to be taking to reading, writing, phonics, learning really well).
When I ask him how his day was and who he played with his always says nobody likes me, nobody wants to be my friend.
He has gotten into trouble a fair bit in the playground in the first half term for rough play and now has to go to lunch club for structured play with teachers (board games etc) for 20 mins each lunchtime and then has 20 mins on the playground which he seems better able to cope with, without getting into trouble for silly rough playing.
He seems angry all the time, in and out of school. And me and DH realised with some horror this weekend that he doesn't really seem capable of being nice to anyone. He seems to have missed the crucial social cues/rules of life which mean that if you want people to be friends with you, you have to be nice and kind to them.
He is rough and silly A LOT with his 2yo brother and we seem to spend a lot of time putting him on timeout for rough pushing his little bro, telling him off, and it all just feels really negative and horrible at the moment.
I feel awful about this as it's probably my fault and I must have somehow failed to teach him this basic life skill of being nice - "how to make friends" seems to come obviously to my friends' kids but he just seems Cross that people don't like him and thinks they just should even tho he is largely grumpy and rude and pushy.
Has anyone else experienced this? What can I do to help him become more friendly? I am devastated and feel really worried about my littlest boy. We never had any of this at his nursery he was largely well behaved and well liked. He has gone to a school where he doesn't know anyone and it seems to have knocked him for six.
Anyone? Help!