Mom Says Her Daughter Is The 'Weird Kid' At School That No One Talks To & Asks How To Help Her Make Friends
She admitted that her daughter is having trouble making friends after recently starting the third grade.
Inna_Kandybka | Shutterstock A mom was put in a tough parenting situation after noticing that her daughter wasn't making that many friends at school. In fact, she wasn't just having trouble making friends; she was, as she described, "the weird kid" that no one wanted to talk to.
Posting to the subreddit r/Parenting, she claimed that her daughter was being isolated by the other kids in her school and questioned what the best solution could be to help her daughter not feel so alone.
The mom says her daughter is considered the 'weird kid' at school and she has no friends.
In her Reddit post, she expressed a desire to receive parenting advice, especially from other moms, because she doesn't have any moms in her life who are around the same stage that she's at currently.
She explained that her daughter recently started third grade and is having a hard time making friends because she's considered the "weird kid" among her classmates.
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"She doesn’t have any friends, and she doesn’t know why no one likes her. She said the other kids tell her they don’t want to play with her," she recounted in her post.
Hearing that her daughter is struggling to make friends breaks her heart, and hearing that as a parent, it's understandable that she'd want to do everything in her power to rectify that.
She admitted that she's always told her daughter to be herself and not be afraid of going up to some of the other kids and either striking up a conversation or inviting them to play, thinking that would help. However, as a socially awkward person herself who has anxiety meeting new people, along with her husband, she doesn't think they're the best role models.
While she and her husband might not excel in social situations, what they need to remember is that not every kid is a social butterfly. It's entirely possible that her daughter is an introvert and doesn't enjoy being the center of attention.
Rachel Busman, PsyD, a psychologist who works with anxious kids, explained to Child Mind Institute, “Kids need just one or two good friends. You don’t have to worry about them being the most popular kid in their class.”
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"I don’t know if there’s anything I can or should do, but any suggestions or advice would be appreciated!" she insisted.
Honestly, making friends at any age can be challenging, but knowing that your child might be struggling socially is gut-wrenching. Even as adults, we can sometimes struggle with connecting with different people, especially since we've been out of school for so long and may not know how to socialize with people outside of that commonplace.
The mom was encouraged to enroll her daughter in activities that would allow her to meet kids outside of the school environment.
People in the comments section suggested that she either schedule a meeting with a teacher or counselor at her daughter's school to gather more information about the situation and maybe work together with them to figure out a solution that works best for everyone or to consider allowing her daughter an opportunity to meet kids outside of a school setting.
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Enrolling her daughter in dance classes, a sports activity, theater, or taking a class where she learns a musical instrument with other kids can help her come out of the socially awkward phase she's in.
Meeting children in a shared interest environment might be easier, especially since she'll be able to meet other kids from different areas who don't necessarily all go to her school. It'll give her a chance to mingle and develop conversational skills that she can use later on in adulthood as well.
She doesn't just have to rely on the school to make friends, but if the problem still persists even with the outside activities and it's still bothering her daughter, then she can consider meeting with the school in a formal meeting to resolve the issue.
It may also help to reassure her daughter that she's not "weird" and that there's no reason to feel insecure about her personality. As Dr. Busman explained, all children all different. Kids "can have different social limits and degrees of comfort. A child who prefers quiet time or being in small groups isn’t necessarily avoiding other kids.”
She won't go the rest of her life not being able to make friends, and this little blip is only for the time being.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.