Aa
7yr old boy playing with girls
My 7yr old son has decided to play with only girls at school. He was teased but the school has dealt with that and he is now happy and doesn't like it when other boys try to enter their play as he thinks his role is being taken away. He is in the footy team and is very keen to interact with his peers outside of school but has always had difficulty finding a solid bond with other boys. We have tried the take a ball in approach, it worked for one day but he prefers the girl pretend play. I suspect he has had so many rejections from the boys at school that it is all too hard and he would rather hang with the girls because their nice to him (he does have an 11yr old big sis & baby brother) He is not effeminate but does have some odd behaviours eg flaps his hands and talks in a baby voice when excited or nervous.
My concern is that boys interact in very different ways to girls and he is obviously struggling to understand the idiosyncrasies of male friendships, will this affect his ability to relate to men in the future, he will be attending an all boys high school but that is 4yrs away. I am considering boy scouts and have asked his teacher to see if she can find a boy in his class that might be a good fit and encourage this relationship.
My concern is that boys interact in very different ways to girls and he is obviously struggling to understand the idiosyncrasies of male friendships, will this affect his ability to relate to men in the future, he will be attending an all boys high school but that is 4yrs away. I am considering boy scouts and have asked his teacher to see if she can find a boy in his class that might be a good fit and encourage this relationship.
I agree with grannienannie. There is nothing wrong with playing with girls especially since he has an older sister he probably admires and is comfortable with girls. Boy scouts is a good idea, or sports, but allow him to keep his friends that are girls (as long as he is happy) . He will be fine.
Why be worried he is playing with girls...That isnt cause for concern...he like girls..their nice..and boys can be ruff...he is still young he has a whole lifetime to make friends of his choosing...you will take him out of his comfort zone..he will catch on if you continue to try to get him more active with more boys his age...this will not effect his ability to bond with men in the future...you never know he might like hair and become a hair stylist..or a doctor that delivers babies...maybe he is amazed with women...but dont discourage him from playing with girls...he will make you really proud if he decides to help women in the future...
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Child Behavior Community
Fearing autism, many parents aren't vaccinating their kids. Can doctors reverse this dangerous trend?
Is a gluten-free diet right for you?
We answer your top questions about the flu vaccine.
Learn which over-the-counter medicines are safe for you and your baby
Yummy eats that will keep your child healthy and happy
Healing home remedies for common ailments
I think you are right in saying he's struggling to understand how other boys interact and connect with one another. I myself felt the same as a child, often hanging around the girls as i felt more comfortable around them (and having two older sisters). I always felt the other boys were too rough and was intimidated by that.
I did however, develop connections with other boys eventually and believe that abit of growth and maturity will assist that. I don't think it's a cause for concern just yet, he will develop those connections and wont see hanging around girls fun or interesting anymore. definitely try him scouts or something else, but i think it's going to be something that works itself out in time.