The signs are here: Little Miss is a Tween

Tweener Miss

Little Miss has grown so much this year. She has been slaying the dragons, beginning in a new school. It was an issue to make new friends, but she finally has a very special friend. It's strange how they all want that special BFF!

Besties! So great to have a real friend at school! It took a while to make a new friend at a new school. #BFF #LittleMiss #friends

A post shared by Karen Du Toit (@karentoittoit) on Sep 4, 2017 at 3:26am PDT

We are seeing signs of her becoming more independent, and the Tween that is emerging. And Mom and Dad winces because the precious years of baby and toddler is long forgotten! (Too soon, I tell you *sic*)

Signs of the preadolescence, the Tween

Not scientific, but from a mom's perspective. 

Toddler and friends

Friends are a very big deal to the Toddler! She is always telling us she wants to go and play with so-and-so!

When we buy anything for her, she also keeps a sweet or a toy for a specific friend, called Cara. I had to promise her the other day that I would buy another present for the friend. Because I kept an extra McDonald’s toy in my handbag (a back-up), and she was very upset...
It was her friend’s toy! (She can't open it!)

At 32 months (Toddler out of the box) she is still playing alongside the friends, not with them. “Mine” is also a word being heard regularly! But the friends being there are very important...

Even though she sees play mates at day care every day, she still feels the need for her special friends!

Girl friends

If there is one thing I want to learn my girls is how to appreciate their friends...

At about six years of age  the eldest used to complain about fights with her friends at school.
"This one wants to play with that one, and she doesn't want to play with that one..." And so forth!
Day after day I had to listen to the dramas in Little Girls' country! It was all about girls' politics!
(I hear from friends that it is the normal age for that to happen.)

It does not stop, but they become better at handling rejection as well as treating others with empathy and understanding!

I explained to my six year old that she had to be the best friend she could be!
She had  to be the friend who did not differentiate, and who treated everybody the way she would like to be treated.It also helps to understand that you should have lots of friends, and not only a Best Friend!


It worked! I am planning to do the same again when the toddler reaches that age!

In the meantime it is all about teaching the toddler the concept of sharing! The toddler did not want to leave the swing on Saturday at Tiny Tumbles... (see photo)

How do you handle the friendship dramas?
Do you sometimes step in when things turn ugly, or do you let her sort it out on her own?