There are several reasons why your child may or may not have friends, and often it has a lot to do with their personality and learning style. As parents, sometimes we overthink things such as our children’s behavior, their education, and even their social skills. Keep in mind, accepting your child for how they are is one very crucial part to them feeling loved and accepted despite their differences.
One of the more recent experiences that has come up with some friends of mine is that they compare their child’s social-emotional development to that of other children. In other words, their child tends to shy away from other children in their general age group in a school or play-date setting. Seeking outside opinions and counsel from professionals and friends alike, they have been told all the same conventional things such as, “Every child develops differently; your child will make friends one day,” to “Maybe your child is a late bloomer,” and even the old, “It is a phase and they will outgrow it.”
And while we know we are not supposed to compare our children to other children, sometimes we forget, start to compare, and then worry and angst set in. It honestly isn’t easy for my friends (or any parent for that matter) to watch other children have gobs of friends while their own child is left out, or isolated from the group.
In an attempt to soothe the fear and support parents everywhere, we have come up with a few reasons as to why your child may or may not have friends.
Reasons Your Child May or May Not Have Friends
1) They may have a unique personality.
Some kiddos are social butterflies, and others may be an out-of-the-box thinker, introvert or even one who doesn’t run with the crowd. Simultaneously, if a child isn’t comfortable in a crowd, naturally they will avoid it. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – it just means they may have one or two close friends instead of being friends with the whole classroom!
2) Technology.
In today’s modern era, many children would rather go home and play games on their phone or IPad instead of playing outside with friends. Or, they may have a friend come over who is also on their phone/IPad playing the same game.
3) Limited time to socialise.
Some children are busy with school, studying, extracurricular activities and the like. By the time they get home, perhaps they simply want to rest. Pay attention to their schedule – if a child has a lot on their plate, making friends may not be in the top 5 of their to do list!
4) Conflict with other children.
Many of us have had conflicts with close friends and family and children are no exception. The difference is maybe they don’t exactly know how to resolve the issue. Help them learn how to work with other children instead of cutting themselves off. Many times children avoid conflict and do so by staying away from another child with a differing personality.
Each child is different, unique and develops differently throughout their lives. Where one child may excel at math subjects, they may develop socially; where one child’s physical development and motor skills are exceptional, they may lack in communication. In short, do not panic if your child is a little shy and takes their time to make friends. This is part of their unique personality. Encourage them gently but give them the space to explore and grow on their own.
About Little Human Scholars Kindergarten in PJ
Little Human Scholars is an all-in-one childcare solution. It is a preschool, playschool, kindergarten, nursery and full day daycare centre (with extended hours) located in the heart of PJ.
In fact, the location is one of the things which makes Little Human Scholars so sought after – it is conveniently nestled near Jalan Gasing, University hospital, PJ Old town, PJ New town, Jaya One, Jaya33, and the PJ IT Mall.
The best part is LHS has premiere services many other schools in PJ don’t offer such as full day daycare with extended hours, CCTV access for parents, and a nifty little phone app called Toddlytic which provides parents with automatic updates on their child’s development, behaviour and health checks.
With full-time guards always present at each of their locations, access to CCTV (which is in every room except the office, bathroom and kitchen areas), and very strict pick-up and drop-off rules, Little Human Scholars treats every child who walks into its hallways as one of their own children!
This place has it all: location, safety, health, IGSCE curriculum and play-based learning. What more could you ask for? Did I mention they also have transportation services and offer meal plans for students? It doesn’t get any better than that.
If you are interested in a tour of one of our centres (that’s right, there’s more than one), all you need to do is fill out the form here or call +6017-7303-025 and an LHS administrative staff will get back with you shortly!
Cheers,
Jana Moreno