Initial concerns about your child’s progress at school.

Part 1 Social

Kids at different ages commonly report being alone at recess, eating alone at lunch, and not having any friends. How can someone not like your child, right? To be clear – this is not always 100% accurate reporting from your child. There are some things you can do, to look at this, as we don’t want your child feeling alone, being isolated or left out.

  1. Ask what they like to do at recess? Is there equipment available for them to play on? Preschool and early elementary kids may enjoy playing beside other kids, but not always interacting (parallel play). Do they prefer balls, playing organized games, tether ball or digging in the sand?
  2. Does your child know different names of students or is coming up with names hard for them generally?
  3. Do they seem sad about not having friends? Not everyone needs a lot of friends, and prefer it that way.
  4. Email or leave a message for their teacher to ask if there is a playground supervisor you could get information from. Are there structured games out at recess/lunch break?
  5. If you know of a potential friend in the class, it may be a great idea to help them set up a time to meet or a place to meet at school.
  6. Give them a Scavenger Hunt to look for at breaks (a grown up with a hat, 3 red books, 4 smiling students, someone helping another person). Have them share the results at home later with you. This is also a great activity to share with others at school.
  7. Check your school’s website, or speak to their counselor to see about service clubs or friendship groups your child could be part of. Finding out what is available is not always as easy as it should be, so asking is a great start.

When you child gets home, ask questions that are more detailed to help them answer. Was anyone absent from your class today? What were the different games at recess today? If they were principal for a day, what would they switch or change? What was something they know today, that they didn’t know yesterday?

Friendships happen in many ways and in many degrees.

Celebrate all levels of friendship.