I don’t know if I am the only parent who worries about this, but I am concerned that I may jeopardise my son’s friendships. It may sound like an odd paranoia after all, I’m not in the sand tray telling the other children not to play with David. However, I am the adult who is supposed to communicate smoothly and effectively with the adults belonging to the other small people.
Unfortunately, I am quite introverted and struggle to go up to other people and make conversation. It seems to me that everyone else at the school gate is confident to talk to anyone. It may be more challenging because we are in a tiny village, and I think everyone probably knew each other for years before we moved here in November but I am struggling. I don’t want David to miss out on anything because I am not confident enough to ensure he is involved.
Another issue is my worries about David’s friendship skills. I don’t think lockdown helped. David obviously didn’t go to other children’s houses and we had maybe one or two playdates before we moved here. He has had a few playdates with some new friends but when they came to our house, he struggled hugely with sharing his toys and got upset when they wouldn’t follow his ideas and rules. He has apparently been mean at school and told some children they can’t play with him. This is something we and the school are working with him on to make sure he can have successful friendships. The school have a role – ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) who will be doing some work with David in the new school year.
Meanwhile, David has struck up a close friendship with another child and has asked me if he can go on a playdate. This has struck fear into me. I would have to talk to this parent and make sure my social etiquette was up to scratch and also my concern is that it’s a small school. If David is having friendship issues, then maybe they all know because their children have gone home and said something. Maybe they are all writing off my challenging, clever boy who is only five and just starting to understand how to make friends and play with others. I hope not and I hope I am just being paranoid because I want him to be a good friend and I want him to have amazing friendships.
