Parenting Preschoolers (3-5) Support Group

I am very concerned about my 3 and a half year old daughter's attitude lately and I'm not sure how to parent it or deal with it.

Background: I am a single parent, her dad IS in the picture and visits with her every other weekend. I live with my parents and am going to be done with school in 2 weeks. I am home with my daughter full time during the days, as I go to class on the weekends.

I go to a cooperative preschool with my daughter once a week. My daughter really started out as a quiet, shy girl because she didn't know anybody. She clung to me like glue and did the activities but was not interested in playing with the other kids. i know her, and I know that she sometimes does better in one-on-one play situations than in groups, so I made friends with a few of the moms who had little girls at the preschool and got her together for playdates with some of those kids. Now, my daughter has really come alive and is very social.

Problem is she is only social with HER friends. She refuses to include other kids and has hurt many kid's feelings in the class by refusing to play with them. She created a little "clique" for herself and her little gaggle of girlfriends follow her around school and do whatever she wants to do. My daughter LOVES being the leader. Again- not necessarily a bad thing, I'm glad she has friends. The problem arrises when other kids try to play with their little group. My daughter will tell other kids they have to go away and can't play with them. I will step in and tell my daughter she has to let other kids play. She will do as I say, and not force other kids to leave her little group, but will completely instigate stopping all conversation until the outsider leaves or will just move onto a different area of the room and her little clique of friends will follow her and ditch the outsider. I feel like I somehow created a monster! I can see the "mean girl" high school stuff happening...and she's in PRESCHOOL!
Posted on 04/25/12, 01:36 am