Whether you want to believe it or not, cliques do exist in preschool.  Cliques naturally form when children are left to play on their own.  They will decide who they want to play with and who they don’t.  If you see your child being left out in the cold, it can be a saddening experience.  Try to encourage your child to assert herself in an authoritative manner and play with the group that excluded her.  Don’t force your child to play with children she doesn’t like, as this will only end badly.

Cliques will be an enormous barrier that your child must cross when trying to make friends in preschool.  If your child complains about being made fun of, rejected or having no friends, then it is time to talk to the teacher.  Ask the teacher if your child attempts to play with the other kids or just plays on her own.  Shyness may be detriment in your child’s ability to make friends.  If she is extremely shy, trying to get her out of her shell won’t be an easy task.

If your child just doesn’t seem to mesh with the other children around her, ask the teacher to pair up your child with another one that is more active and outgoing.  This will give your child a “role model” to base her actions off of.  If she is hanging around the more popular three year old, it will instill a sense of confidence in her so she can talk with the other children.

Ask the teacher to assign your child special responsibilities that will increase her social standing such as passing out crayons for coloring time or paper plates for snack time.  If your child is recognized as an important figure to her classmates, it will increase her confidence.

Having your child to attempt to make friends in a large group setting can be intimidating for the youngster.  Break down the groups into smaller ones and place your child in one so she can get to know a few kids closely.  Doing this will not only increase her confidence talking with the other kids, it will also give her a new perspective of everyone.

Cliques in preschool can be a frustrating thing both as a parent and a teacher.  As a parent you want to know that you child will be included and have a great time.  As a teacher you want to help the kids make friends and get along.  Unfortunately, cliques are a way of human life from preschool to the workplace.

You may also find interesting:

  1. Separating from your Preschooler
  2. Help your child to make friends
  3. Was Preschool Effective in Getting your Child Ready for Kindergarten?
  4. How to boost a confidence of your preschooler?
  5. Preschool, Good or Bad?

Filed under: Socializing

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