Is it normal? This is a question I ask myself a lot when it comes to my daughter. Every parent asks themselves this question at some point in their lives. I probably ponder this question just about every day. Lately, I have been spending a lot of time thinking about my daughter’s friend-making abilities.

One thing you should know about my daughter is that she has a bit of a rebellious personality when it comes to anything I suggest or even think about. Of course, this should not surprise me, since I was and still am the same way when it comes to my mother. If I suggest that Ava wear a certain outfit, she protests. If I suggest that something we are eating is yummy, she all of a sudden doesn’t like it. The other night I played a little game with her to test her out and I told her that she had to eat candy and ice cream after dinner. Exactly as I expected – she vehemently refused, but she left the window open and said that she could possibly eat it at a later time. Smart little cookie….

Lately, I have been observing how she interacts with other kids at school. I want to make sure she is having a good school experience, and as we all know, making friends is a big part of it. At drop-off the kids seem to arrive in class and go directly to whatever toy sparks their interest that morning. Most of the kids greet each other and play together. My doughter is a different story. She is not at all interested in going to see the other kids. In fact, this morning a little boy walked over and gave her a hug and she just shoved him away. Well, at least I don’t have to worry about her interest in boys for a little while longer!

So, I find myself asking the famous question - is it normal that she isn’t interested in making friends? Is my kid destined to be a loner? Why doesn’t she believe me when I tell her having friends is fun?

I did a bit of reading and it seems like it could be considered normal for preschool children to not always want to play together. Does this mean that this behavior will change when she gets older? Boy, do I hope so!

I am curious to know what other parents have experienced in regards to their children’s socialization habits. Please leave me a comment and share your story, I would love to hear from you.