Rainbows for my shy DD

[TinaSparkles]

My DD is very shy and doesn't seem to mix too well with other kids at nursery. She doesn't refer to any of them as her friends, although there are plenty of kids in the street who she regularly plays with that she does.

She starts primary school in August and will be 5 in October, and I'm worried that she'll struggle especially with there being so many in the one class.

I was wondering if joining Rainbows would be a good way of getting her to interact with others more.

I've tried taking her to swimming classes with me (not the best for meeting other kids, I know) but she is so clingy and I think I would be waiting till she is older so she can do it on her own. She doesn't seem to like trying out new things, but one of the neighbours DD goes to Rainbow so there would be someone else there that she knows already.

I'm just trying to give her a sense of self-confidence. Has anyone else found it a way of bringing their own DDs out of their shell.

I found Beavers helped tremendously with DS. Give it a try!

Rainbows did my dd the world of good. I did have to prise her off me when she first joined, but she loved it and has gone on to brownies. I think it's great for kids to have friends outside of school, and when we moved across the country, brownies was waiting for her at the other end so provided great continuity.

absolutely go for it. if your neighbour would take her along, she go in easier with someone else. She won't be able to start till she's 5, but you can get her on the waiting list at least.

dd1 loved rainbows and is still keen now she is at brownies. she is not the most academic child in the world and it is nice for her to mix with other children in an informal non-academic environment

they do LOADS of stuff and it all seems very friendly

gosh, i sounded like i knew what i was talking about there

Thanks for the replies!

She seems very resistant to trying anything new and I know she's only 4, but I would like to give her a sense of adventure.

I'm waiting on our local guide leader phoning back as I expect there to be a long waiting list but it's worth a go!

Can I ask though, is it religious? I'm quite agnostic myself so not sure what to expect from that side of things?

As far as I know, it's part of the Girl Guides so no, none religious? They do have a website, just put Rainbows into Google and you'll get there as I can't remember it off the top of my very tired and emotional head!

Hope you DD loves it, I do agree with all other posters that once she get over the initial nerves, she'll think it's great!

I don't know about these days, but I found it hard to escape the god-rubbish in brownies when I was little (the fact that me and my sister were atheists didn't go down well).

LOL Chaotica

Oh dear, I've just had a flashback....... I went to Girls Brigade as a child. Were they religious? It was in a church hall... or were the Guides (who are linked to the Rainbows) the ones who were which is why I went to the other? Best ask Rainsbows yourself or another mum whose child goes as my dodgy memory clearly can't be trusted!

I'm doing my Rainbow and Brownie leadership qualifications atm, it's not really religious at all, we celebrate and learn about all different festivals religious or not at different times of the year.

My dd1 has been a rainbow and is now a brownie and dd2 is a rainbow and they both love that they have an extra circle of friends, some of our rainbows were really shy yet have really come out of their selves since joining us.

I also went to the Girls Brigade, maybe I mixing it up with that!

I don't mind really even if it is, I'm just not invested in it myself.

Do parents stay with them then at first?

Rainbows has been the making of my shy dd

I tried two or three after school activities and she was weepy and clingy and wouldn't join in.

We had to wait for a place as our local troop is oversubscribed but that worked in our favour as a few of her classmates were already there so there were familiar faces when she joined.

She's only been going since Christmas but happily goes in on her own and has a whale of a time.

She loves playing and crafty type activities so it's right up her street.

Ex rainbow leader here

Shy girls normally tehrive at rainbows, we always had many anbd they did seem to blossom in teh atmosphere that existed, I think it would be very worth a try

Hopw religious each group is depends on teh leader really; there are ways around any of it though

For example pre- me our lot were very very religious becuase the leader was; we were also somewhat bound by being ion a Church Hall that was actually buiolt into a Church tower so Vicar could pop in at any time

When I joined though it was quietly toned down- am still a Christian but well, a very liberal one and one with a degree now in world faiths LOL which artehr suggests my take on it all

The rainbow name deos come from Noah though so I woudl expect a little