Please help me to explain to ds why somedays children are friends with each other and the next day they are not and are horrid.

[avenanap]

He's always nice and friendly and doesn't see why other children play with each other one day, hate each other the next, then want to play. I've tried telling him it's because they are still learning but I'm at a loss here. Any suggestions please?

Not a clue.

DD comes home with the same woes. I have no idea if she does it to other kids, but have never seen her do it.

Because children do not decide whether they like someone as a whole, they decide whether they like what they are doing on that day and whether they fit in with the games they are playing on that day. It is no reflection of other children but only of how the "liker" is feeling on a particular day.

It's so annoying! He's asked this a few times, it's worse at his new school. I don't know what to tell him. One minute someone is his best pal, then tells him that he hates him, then he's ds's best pal. ds is quite grown up so can see it.

My dd does this. One day such and such is her friend, the next day they've been fighting and she doesn't like her any more. I don't pay much attention - it changes from day to day.

I know it changes, I think it's part of growing up. ds is a friendly soul and plays with anyone and everyone. He was rather popular at his last school because of this. He doesn't get why they are so fickle at his new school though.

I've never known him to fall out with anyone.

Depends on the child's age, but I've found this book really helpful for my 9 year old to teach him about how friendships change from day to day and to give him coping strategies: www.bookdepository.co.uk/WEBSITE/WWW/WEBPAGES/showbook.php?id=0340911840 (sorry, rubbish at links).

Even if your child is too young to read it themselves you might get some ideas from reading it yourself on how to phrase it so they start to understand.

ds is 9. All of the other children are around his age. He's mega bright so I'm not sure whether he can see what's happening because of this IYKWIM.