How can I help my 5year old ds make friends?

[Imfeckinpetigo]

Hi, I have been lurking around this site for some time now and am hoping someone can either give me some advice or re-assure me in some way.

My ds is 5, 6 in November and is part way through p1. I have a dd who is 6, almost 7 (there is 18 months between them)and in p2 at school. They are very close, hardly ever argue, good friends and share most things easily at home. I am a single parent but have a good relationship with their dad and equally have a very close family and some wonderful friends. However almost all my friends have little girls so my ds has been predominatly brought up around women (of varying ages!).

When ds started school my dd looked out for him, made sure he was okay at playtimes etc however last term she got a bit weary of this as she has her own little of circle of friends and doesn't really want her brother around. I had a big talk with ds tonight and he told me he is feeling lonely at lunchtimes as no-one wants to play with him, I asked if he tries to play with other boys, asks to be included etc to which he said he did but they (the other boys) always said no they were playing a game for 2,3,4 or whatever. I asked whether he could just play with the girls he knows very well but, obviously, they are playing 'girl stuff' and he doesn't want to.

I am sitting feeling very vexed as I hate the idea of him being lonely but I'm not sure what to do. I don't know many of the boys in his class nor really any of their parents. I would invite one for a play day but not knowing the parents makes it difficult. He has joined a football, swimming and youth club so I am hopeful this helps but he is a very sensitive, quiet lad and very generous (my dad thinks he is a bit soft, lol).

I'm probably just being silly worrying about this when he is still so young but if anyone can help I would be so grateful.

Sorry for the epic read.

Aw ur DS sounds lovely. I think what you have done so far sounds brill, I'm sure the football, swimming and youth clubs will help. There is bound to be some boys from school in these.

I don't know etiquette on playdates DS is only 3 and we have had some through nursery and it was just that got chatting to their mums (I'm not really chatty btw).

At our local primary there is a playpark close by and a lot of the mums go there with dc straight after school. Just an idea.

HTH

Check with the playground staff whether he really is a loner at playtime. DS went through a phase where he said 'no one wants to play with me' and I asked his teacher about it and she said that he was always playing with other children. It's just that one particular boy who he wanted to be friends with wasn't particularly interested and 'no one wants to play with me' was DS's way of expressing that.

I was going to post the same as Othersideofthechannel.

Thank you for your replies, he is a lovely little boy (not that I am biased or anything!).

My friend is actually a playground monitor, I have asked previously and she said he is a bit of a loner but does play with others sometime. I will ask her again so how he is doing now.

I'm just not sure how to approach the parents I don't know as I never see them as my children walk back and forth to school themselves, nor even do I know what they would look like if I did see them! Will try and find out who ds would like to play with and try and arrange play days. He is only 5 though so I know he has plenty of time to make friends who aren't girls just hate the thought of him being lonely.

I'd ask the teacher (without your child hearing) to see if she can "engineer" a friendship with a suitable boy.