I want to help my DD (5) to be a little more assertive. She has a friend at school who she considers her best friend. DD mentions almost daily now that her friend is very bossy and DD sometimes thinks that she doesn't want to be friends with her any more. DD does what her friend tells her to do.
As well as small: play this, come here, do it my way type bossiness (which isn't a problem really) she tells my DD not to be friends with certain other people and has physically dragged DD away from a lovely little girl that Friend doesn't like. DD was not happy about this but went with her anyway.
What bothers me most is that DH saw them playing amongst other children recently and DD ran up to Friend to play, Friend tells DD "No, when it's just the two of us we play on our own" (they are usually in a larger close group of friends) and proceeded to play alone leaving DD a bit confused and upset. DD was then expected to drop the other friends when Friend decided she later wanted to play with DD.
She went off to join other friends and had fun but I don't like the pick up and drop attitude combined with the general bossiness.
I have told DD that no one gets to choose her friends for her and that she can play with whoever she likes but I'm just now sure how else to help her. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.