Being a mother of toddlers who just started in new schools, I've been worried about things like: will they fit in? will they make friends like the friends they left behind? etc.
My daughter (6) had a very good friend called Caitlin and they said they were best friends and I was quite worried about them parting, four days into our stay here in Dublin, she had a new best friend Joanna, who is our neighbour. At school she says everyone is her friend and she's happy there :)
My son (almost 4) was very withdrawn around strangers, so I was more worried about him starting school for the first time ever, well three days after starting there, he told me "mummy I like my new friends here", so I eagerly asked, what are their names and he said calmly, "I don't know." Yesterday, he brought home a slice of cake from a 'friend' and when we asked whose birthday was it, he said "my friend" and that was enough.
See, it doesn't look like friendships are complex from the early days of life...when does it become awkward to just call everyone your friend without being a weirdo...
I think it comes from being hurt by people, especially those we call 'friends'. At some point in our life we have closer friends and less close ones then it all gets personal and life gets complicated! maybe it's also the difference in genders - your daughter has a 'best friend' while the boy has lots of 'friends' - isn't that similar to men and women as we grow up and the way we view friendships?
ReplyDeleteYou're right Mvuse, I do agree that there's a gender base to this. I listened today as they were chatting in the car, we drove past a classmate of my son's and my daughter was shocked at how he didnt know his 'friend's' name!!
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