Bigger kids picking on daughter at Playgroup?
Hello there!
I have a quick question in regards to my daughter and other kids. She is 2.5 years old and we are in this really great playgroup. She plays very well and enjoys herself a lot. It is also a very friendly and supportive group as well. So no worries there at all. However, I am just seking some advice on how to handle this situation. There are bigger kids in the Playgroup at about 4 years of age and are mainly boys. One boy in particular takes quite a shine to my daughter and will generally hang around her constantly. He is generally pretty okay with her, but lately he (and his other friends) and getting a bit rough with her by poking and prodding her or pushing her over. I keep an eye on her when she plays and intervene where necessary, but it is getting to the stage where I starting to get quite concerned. I think I have support from the older boy's mother, but just wondering how to approach such interest from other kids with my daughter. They really like her and hang around her, and I find it interesting that the older kids have taken the interest in her that they have. One mum did say (after one of the boys chased my daughter and pushed her over) "I can see her bing victimised" and this made me worry a bit as that has also been on my mind. I am worried that she could be up for bullying later in life and I want her to get a kit bag of ways she can be one step ahead on that.
So any ideas on how to approach this with my daughter? She is a very gentle and very bright kid and does not miss a beat with anything, so I think teaching her to be assertive will be okay (and she can be assertive with people that she knows well), but she is a sweetie. But what do you think about this? I am just a bit concerned as I don't want her to be picked on by the older kids and find it intersting that they do seem to have such an interest in her.
Anyway, just asking for some suggestions on the situation I suppose. I do have some ideas on what to do, but just wondered what other approaches may be out there or if any of you have come across a similar situation. I imagine that it is not an unusual situation, so thought there may be some ideas on it. Many thanks!:)
