It's been interesting to observe Diana at KinderCare lately. There are definitely girl groups and boy groups. I don't see a whole lot of girls playing with the boys and vice versa. The girls play in the home living area and the boys are usually doing their own thing off somewhere else in class. This is definitely not something set up by the teacher, but very interesting to me.
Diana has developed friendships with all the girls in her class. Where it used to be just one girl has now turned in to a friendship with about three or four other girls. One day when I went to pick her up, all the girls yelled out to Diana that her mommy was here. "Thanks, girls," I said. Sometimes they go get her jacket for her and another day they gathered up her Cabbage Patch doll which she brought for Share Day and all the clothes that were strewn across the room. Very helpful, I thought.
Over the last week, the friendships seem to have grown and blossomed a bit more. The other day, every girl in Diana's class gave her a HUGE hug before we left and some even kissed her (so gross, I know). Diana, normally shy before and unwilling to say goodbye to any of her friends, returned the hug and even waved through the door when we left.
Matt and I talked a couple nights later and he said that he watched her for about five minutes the next day (not knowing about the departure hugs that occurred). He was amazed at how much of a social butterfly Diana is in her class with the other girls. She showed them her homework and they talked about their outfits, he said, to one another.
He thinks she's the leader of the group, but I think that she plays with everyone fairly and treats everyone the same instead of getting into clicks and the sort. At least I hope so.
It's very fun though to see her open up and socialize and have these little friends. We have no idea who these girls are, where they live, who their parents are, but Matt thinks it would be a good idea to invite them to Diana's birthday party in June.
I see where he's coming from, and Diana has said that she wants to invite them all, but again...I have never met their parents. Who am I to invite strangers into the house? I don't expect them to bring a present for my kid who they don't even know. Diana talks about her friends at home, but do the other girls talk about Diana? Do the other parents know of this "Diana"?
4 comments:
Quite the dilema about the birthday party. Maybe you can ask the teachers how other parents handle that. I'm sure they might know if parents invite classmates to the parties they have. Also, you don't want to leave anyone out and then Diana might be on the wrong end of some mean behaviors if there are jealous kids/parents in the class.
I'm glad Diana has friends at school. I wish I could observe her in school one day. It sounds so interesting. Talking about their outfits. So funny!
Too funny! I hope that Isabella has friends once she starts school!
Maybe you could find out somehow when the other girls' birthdays are and if they have already passed then you may be closer to figuring out the birthday protocol. Is there a birthday calendar in the classroom or anything?
It's still a couple of months away so you have time!!
you could have a party for her at a local park, that way you don't invite random peeps into your house, plus it gives all the parents a chance to get to know one another in a neutral environment.
good that she is making friends though. she is such a cutie.
Great idea about the park!
You should print your blog entry and save it because it shows a definite growth area that you will want to be able to share with her when she's, say, 33!!! Then you won't have to make things up when she asks you about what she was like when she was 3!!!! Hmmmm.
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