LisaS
02-12-2009, 08:27 PM
Hi, I'm new to this board, and I hope someone out there has some good advice. My daughter is 5 and has always been a bit more mature than other kids her age. Just to offer some examples, she has never had a problem with sharing, has no need to be first all the time, and is very flexible and easygoing. She has recently had a run of playdates gone bad with children who are either appropriately or inappropriately immature. Certain behaviors are expected at this age. One child was bossing her a good deal of the time they were together and would even yell at her and tell her she wouldn't be her friend if my daughter didn't do what she wanted. I would say that was innapropriate; however, I do have a tough time gauging anymore. My daughter dealt with it very well and stood up to her when she felt it necessary, but mostly just let it roll off her back. She continued to try to enjoy their time together, but at the end, after they left, all she could say was, "That didn't go like I expected it." I told her not to let the child's behavior hurt her feelings, and she didn't, and I said I was proud of her for her behavior. This has pretty much been my mantra after playdates for some time now. Though she seems to be okay with it, what else can I tell my 5 year old about others' behaviors? Keep in mind she is very social and still considers these children her friends, so I don't want to say anything hurtful, but at the same time, how much of this can I expect her to endure?