How to help your child handle

forget the poll, I made an error

Any suggestions on how to help your child handle a possessive friend? For ex, friends who don't want your child to play with anyone else when they are around, when your child is naturally friendly to all classmates/children?

Message edited 5/20/2014 11:24:02 PM.

Re: How to help your child handle

If it's not happening in front of me I would let the teacher handle it.

It also depends on the situation.

DS has an older friend he adores. He's been invited to stuff with him and his friends and he follows the one boy around because he's the only one he knows.

I've experienced the opposite where the older kids gang up on him and call him a baby.

Fortunately he has a thick skin and can handle the situation himself.

Many parents have stepped up to the plate and said something about playing nice and including everyone, but many do not.

Re: How to help your child handle

I would remind my child that she is welcome to play with whoever she likes. And that there's no such thing as too many friends. I would also explain that the friend is probably afraid of losing her as a friend, and that's why she tries to keep her all to herself.
I would encourage my child to branch out, but to also include the original friend as well. I think role playing could be really useful here to arm her with possible things she could say. "I would like us to all play together" "we can all be friends"