The beginning of the school year is a huge stress for a first grader. Not only have the workload increased and new requirements for discipline have appeared, but also a completely new team, into which you need to somehow fit in. How the child develops relationships with classmates will determine his desire to learn in the future.
How to understand that a child has communication problems
The first reaction when entering an unfamiliar group may be isolation or hostility. You need to carefully monitor the mood of a first grader who comes from school, ask who he managed to make friends with, how his classmates treat him.
At first, newly minted schoolchildren strive to be friends with someone who has earned the teacher's approval, then this trend passes and interest groups are formed. And if your child did not get into any of these groups and did not make friends with any of the classmates, he will feel very uncomfortable and either become even more withdrawn into himself or show hostility towards his classmates. If, 1-2 months after the start of the school year, the child has not made friends with anyone, parents should be concerned.
Solutions
If a child says that no one wants to be friends with him, first gently find out from what he drew such conclusions. Perhaps there was a conflict with classmates or he was not invited to the general game. Depending on the responses received, you can already do something. If there was no quarrel, and he just waited in vain for an invitation to the game, try to tell your child how you can start a conversation, how to get involved in communication. If there was a conflict, work with your child to find ways to get out of it. Do not try to resolve the conflict directly; it is important for your child to be able to resolve disputes on his own.
If the relationship still does not work out, you need to look for other options. Talk to your teacher and parents - it is quite possible that you are not alone with this problem. Try throwing a party for the whole class, whether it's someone's birthday or the start of the school year. You can try to make friends with the children by sitting them at the same desk, give a joint task. Team games, nature trips and excursions unite the team very well. A little help may become a reason for acquaintance, for example, if a neighbor on a desk forgot a pen or pencil.
Try not to lose contact with your child in this situation. Do not let him start hiding anything from you, thinking that you are unwilling or unable to help him. Rejoice with your child every positive moment in communication with classmates.
A child must learn a simple thing - who wants to be friends, then he himself must be friendly. Show this to the children by example. Explain that not only does a friend need to meet their social needs, they also want to get what they need. School friendships in childhood are sometimes the strongest in life.
