Boy (7 y.o.) doesn’t want playdates

My son is in 2nd grade, no problems at school. We are worry that he doesn’t want to invite anybody for playdates. We ask him about friends, he said “I don’t have any friends”. But when we asked the school counselor she said that he looks happy at school and plays and laughs with other kids. We have 12 y.o. daughter and he enjoys to spend the time with her. The question is do we need to start worrying that something is wrong with him and ask professional help?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

There is no need for professional help. Some children by nature are a bit reticent about reaching out to peers. Enroll him in out-of-school receational programs so that you are boosting his frequency of peer play. This aspect of his development will amplify over time.