DD age 5 has a (very lovely) 'best' friend at school (Yr 1) but I'd really really like to find ways to encourage her to keep her social circle a bit wider.
While I understand she likes the security of having one close friend, I know there are days when (understandably!) the other little girl wants to play with someone else instead, when maybe she's ill, or in a lunchtime club... basically I think it's ideal for very young children to have a fairly wide group of friends as it keeps it all less intense and it's better for their confidence to rub alongside different personalities.
I have suggested a few playdates with children I know she does like but never plays with. They go well, but she doesn't then seek them out in the playground.
There are many other children whom she absolutely refuses playdates with!
It's a fairly boisterous class and DD is a not-very-boisterous child so I get that she has firm preferences over not really wanting to join in with louder children or have them over to play. That said, I worry that if I don't encourage her to step a bit out of her comfort zone with just one equally-non-boisterous child, she won't develop the kind of social confidence I think children really need. I don't think she'll ever want to join in big rowdy group games and that's fine but I can see her confidence dipping in other areas when she feels unconfident in the playground.
So beyond playdates with children she does like, and beyond being very positive and encouraging on the rare days when she does play with someone else, is there ANYTHING else I can do?
I'm torn between obviously wanting to recognise that she's a quieter kind of person (I am too) who struggles with large groups but also wanting to encourage her to form bonds with more than just one other child.
Does it change as they get older? In my experience friendship groups get smaller and friendships between girls grow more exclusive and intense as they get older!! So I kind of think this age is the time to keep things more open!
Any advice very welcome.