DD is an only child (4.5), and I'm a single mum (father not in the picture at all). Like most parents, I've been trying to teach dd some social skills such as being kind, considerate, polite, etc. As an only child, I also need to teach her how to share, how to wait her turn, how to stand her ground, how not to be pushed around, and how to respond when other children are mean. I think these lessons are perhaps things other children largely pick up at home from siblings.
I came back from dd's nursery this morning feeling quite unsettled about the behaviour of some of the other children. Is it typical for children of 4 to be quite competitive? There is often lots of "I'm going to xx's house to play, and you're not invited" or many/everchanging scenes of "you're not my friend". There is also a great deal of bragging "I'm going to xx on holiday, and you're not" or "I got a new xx this weekend, and you don't have one do you"?
It breaks my heart to see other children being mean to dd as she is a kind and gentle child. Let me hasten to add, they are not singling her out, they're just functioning at a 4 year old level as far as I can tell. For instance, this morning one little girl was being very grabby and refusing to share the building blocks. She had more than anyone else, but still was grabbing additional blocks and pushing the other children away. Also, for some reason, several of the Dads (who we know well and socialise with) dropped their children at school this morning. One of the other little girls chanted a few times "DD doesn't have a daddy".
Maybe I'm just feeling extra sensitive this morning, or maybe I'm extra protective as we've just had a lovely weekend. I know it's life and she'll have to learn how to handle those sorts of situations, but I just wanted to cuddle and protect my dear little girl from those unnecessary and unkind situations. How can I help her? What do the rest of you do? Are you experiencing this too?