My DD is 5 years and a half and is in year 1. She is a kind, happy,helpful, cheerful and sensible girl. We have a very close relationship and she tells me everything, or so I want to think and I want to keep our relationship open for any talks as the years pass. She went through a period when she didn’t want to talk about school and what happens etc. so I tried not to push her. Recently we started having talks about school and friends again and she told me she wishes she was in year 6 and I asked her why? Her reply was “I want to go to another school and have some friends because here I feel lonely and no one is playing with me”. My heart ached when I heard that because myself as a child was quite an outsider and have been bullied and suffered because of that and I don’t want her to feel like that.
She likes to play with girls and has always been this way, didn’t prefer boys because their way of playing is too rough, she likes to draw a lot, do crafts, “quiet activities” (most of the time).
I asked her “what if you try and go and play with them?” and she said they’re telling her “no”. I even gave examples of girls that I knew she was getting along last year and she told me there are groups of 2-3 girls that are usually playing together and she’s not included.
I know it’s still early and she is just 5 and kids are doing silly games and she has plenty of time to make friends, but I don’t know how to help her not to care if people don’t include her. I tried to explain to her that everyone is different and sometimes they want to play without her and that is fine, she can find something else to do but she won’t let it go, keeps insisting she’s lonely. I don’t even know how to explain better to a 5 year old? I was thinking to read her some books if you have any suggestions?
Thank you!