DD (age 5) problems with friends at school

[honeybe]

My DD is almost 5 and attends a very small village school with only 3 girls in her class. My DD is quite an individual and doesn't make choices based on what others think. She is not a pink frilly princessy type of kid. The other girls in her class are and have started to exclude her from their friendship group. School is aware and have talked to me about it. I don't want to have any of the girls 'forced' to be friends so my question really is, how do I support my daugher? How can I help her to deal with this situation. I don't want her to feel like a victim. TIA

Is your dd upset about it? Is she being excluded deliberately, or is it more that she doesn't enjoy the same kind of games as the other three girls so doesn't play with them?

The obvious answer is to encourage her to play with the boys more, maybe she has more in common with them?

Also try to get her involved with activities outside school, so she can make friends from a wider group. And could the school encourage girls from the year above to invite your dd to play?

I agree - encourage her to play with 'other' children - if this is the boys, so what. My ds is in reception - he sometimes complains that his friends have been nasty - I suggest he plays with someone else, and list quite a number of the girls - and school have commented on the fact that he and his friends are letting the girls join in with their games.

What about any girls in the year above? And any boys too of course.

I don't envy you the angst. Hope she's ok.

Thank you for replying. According to her teacher she is being deliberately excluded, she is not overly upset about it but is questioning why someone wouldn't like her just becasue she likes different things. She does play with the boys but hasn't formed any close friendships. We don't do that many activities after school as she is still so bloomin' tired but do see a few other friends. I'll definately try to up the after school things next school year. I just feel for her in that environment for 6 hours a day and want her to feel comfortable in herself.

Honeybe - I replied because if feel for you and your dd. I know three narrows the opportunity somewhat, but it could all change at any time. They swap allegiances at the drop of a hat at that age. They're little horrors sometimes aren't they.

Tell dd they don't understand her interests.