One of the most heartbreaking things your little one will ever tell you when you ask how school was for them that day. “Nobody would play with me”.

It’s not easy to let your little one out of your protective grasp when they start school and the thought of them sitting alone at playtime is heartbreaking. 

But, what can we do to help them? We don’t want to dwell on it, of course, but we don’t want to dismiss it all together either. 

Watch how you react.

Instead of rushing to smooth things out, it is important to help your child develop some coping skills. By telling your child, “no, that’s not true I’m sure you had loads of children to play with” it gives your child a message that feeling that way is a negative thing and that maybe they shouldn’t feel that way. It most importantly doesn’t allow a child to help themselves or encourage them to share their feelings.

Listen.

For a few reasons, it is important that you hear your little one out. It is important for them to feel heard - that you are there and you are listening. It is also vital that you figure out if this is a bigger thing like exclusion or bullying.

Or, perhaps, it could just be some crossed wires and some miscommunication your child doesn’t have the language skills to deal with yet. In this case, it is a great time for you to teach them.

Empathize.

Along with letting your child know they are heard; empathy also teaches them a good lesson. If you listen to their feelings, acknowledge and validate them it is an important lesson for them in dealing with feeling as they get older. 

Speak to the teacher.

If it becomes an ongoing issue or you feel your child was particularly hurt on this occasion, speaking to their teacher may put your mind at ease It may also give you an idea of how to help your child to deal with a scenario like this again.