Posted by Pauline on October 21 2009 at 23:44:17:
In Reply to: I need some advice and moral support posted by Annette on October 20 2009 at 15:46:08:
Annette, I´m guessing part of what your daughter is feeling is the normal changes for her age. There seems to be a lot of "friendship" challenges at this age: concerns about belonging to the group, differences between kids who used to play well together but are changing at different rates, etc. Can you widen her circle of friends, not so much with large group activities but with "play dates" with another girl or two? I would suggest getting more involved in your local homeschooling community - there are *many* girls of that age in the Philly area, and many Yahoo groups that cover our region. Try going on field trips with other families who have girls her age, or park days, etc. Find someone who may "click" with her for a one-on-one playdate. Find "real work" for her to do with other girls - volunteering or other projects. I tell my daughter that while we´ll work on finding solutions to her concerns, she also has to recognize that her hormones are going wild and this is a time when most girls have days when they feel they just don´t fit in - that´s normal, and it won´t last forever. If she´s having "bad days", help her to chart her mood swings and to begin to understand the changes her body is going through. Good luck - the tween years aren´t easy, and I´m learning the challenges are quite different with girls than with boys! Almost *everyone* I know with a 6th-grade-ish girl is facing these kinds of challenges - you´re not alone!