So big man starts school in September and I am worried about him and me making friends. I am pretty shy. I am much better than I used to be, but I find it hard making conversation with people I don't know. I vividly remember moving when I was eight years old. My mum ended up giving me an ice pop to give to the girl next door as a way of me talking to her. She took it even though she was off shopping but it broke the ice (excuse the pun) and we have been friends ever since. Don't worry I am not thinking of setting up some free ice cream van at the school gates, but it has made me observe how the boys go about making friends.

Big man is actually quite confident. He doesn't really understand shy children and when they run to their mums or hide away he just shouts his name more loudly thinking they cant hear him and that's why they aren't answering him. His main way of making friends seems to be introducing himself, his brothers and even telling the child about his new baby cousin. Then conversation usually reverts to age, and at some point he will come and verify what month his birthday is. Somehow this strategy works and before you know it he is chasing some child round in a tag game.

Middle man is just learning about the friends making process. My heart goes out to him when he tries to make friends with bigger boys who don't want a "baby" two year old hanging around. Some 3 and 4  year olds can be very mean. However, he has a few friends and a current best one. Although he will be a school year above middle man, I can see them both joining the local rugby team and staying friends from that. Here is a picture he drew of him.







Today whilst big man was at gymnastics middle man made another friend - Brick. Luckily 3-4 year old girls are slightly kinder than boys and will play with a 2 year old even if they keep shouting their name incorrectly. In the end Brooke decided it wasn't worth trying to correct him any longer and accepted the pretend orange that he was trying to give her.

And then there is baby man. He is very successful in making friends and it is his strategy that I think will probably work best for me too. He is just happy and smiles at people. Sometimes it isn't even what you say that is important.