# What can I do when I feel left out?

Canonical: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-can-i-do-when-i-feel-left-out
Publisher: Pinnacle Blooms Network / Bharath Healthcare Laboratories Private Limited

Feeling left out is a normal, painful feeling that many children have. Simple steps help: tell a trusted grown-up, take one small step to join in, find an activity you love, and be a friend first. If the feeling lasts or affects school, ask for more support. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

*Feeling left out hurts — but it doesn't mean something is wrong with you, and there are kind, simple things you can try.*

## In short
When you feel left out, it's okay to feel sad or upset — those feelings are real and lots of people feel them. You can try **telling a grown-up you trust**, **joining one small thing** instead of a big group, or **asking one friendly person if you can join in**. You are not alone, and these feelings can get better with a little help.

## Things you can try
- **Tell someone you trust.** A parent, teacher or older friend wants to help. Saying *"I felt left out today"* is brave, not weak.
- **Take one small step.** You don't have to join everyone at once. Ask just one person, *"Can I play too?"* Smaller groups feel easier.
- **Find your kind of fun.** Sometimes we feel left out because the game isn't ours. Pick something you love — drawing, building, a book — and others may join *you*.
- **Be a friend first.** Smiling, sharing, or asking someone *"How are you?"* often opens a door.
- **Be gentle with yourself.** Feeling left out doesn't mean nobody likes you. Feelings come and go, like clouds — they don't last forever.

If you keep feeling left out a lot, or it makes your tummy hurt or makes you not want to go to school, please tell a grown-up. That's a sign you need a bit more support — and that's perfectly okay.

## The Pinnacle way
A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care — never from an app or a quiz. If your child often feels left out, struggles to join in, or finds friendships hard, gentle support can help them feel more confident. Learn how we begin with the [AbilityScore® assessment](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated), explore [behavioural and emotional support](/behavioural-therapy), or start [here](/).

## Trusted sources
Guidance on children's social-emotional wellbeing and friendships from the American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) and WHO nurturing-care resources, paraphrased here in simple words for young readers.

**Next step —** If your child often feels left out or finds making friends hard, [talk to a Pinnacle clinician](/behavioural-therapy) for warm, friendly support.

This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

## Sources
- AAP HealthyChildren.org — children's social and emotional wellbeing: https://www.healthychildren.org
- WHO Nurturing Care — supporting children's wellbeing: https://nurturing-care.org