Everyone knows what it feels like to be left out, it’s part of growing up. But, boy, it hits you harder when it’s not you who is experiencing this horrific, even universal pain, but your uniquely wonderful child. That’s why one Reddit user u/katren08 took to the popular r/Parenting page to seek advice for her daughter’s back-to-school anxiety.
“My daughter was going into third grade and one day she told me that she was nervous about starting school because she was a weird kid and she didn’t have any friends and she didn’t know why no one liked her,” she explained. “She said other kids told her they didn’t want to play with her. It broke my mom’s heart and I didn’t know what to do.
“I always told her to be herself and ask other kids to be her friends,” she continued. “I’m socially awkward and anxious about new people, and so is my husband, so we’re not the best models for making friends, haha. I don’t know if there’s anything I can or should do, but any suggestions or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! “
The Reddit community rallied around the poster. Many said they or their children had experienced something similar and offered helpful, supportive insights.
“Hello! Friendless mom and a lonely little boy with no friends, here! Just wanted to say my heart aches for you. Does she have any hobbies? Club or after school program,” Reddit user u/Lyndsey52020 said How about painting, allowing her to meet other people who might be interested. “
“Also try extra hard to do things with her. We can’t control what happens at school, but we can make them feel safe, wanted, and secure at home. You can be best friends too :)” she continued.
A common piece of advice is: the more involved the better.
“I would suggest she find an extracurricular activity that interests her. Bonus points if it has nothing to do with school. I was one of the weird kids in school, but I also found it in gymnastics, art clubs, summer camps, etc. Same weird kid,” u/Internal_Armadillo62 said.
“Find something she likes to do and she’ll find friends. I was the odd kid in school, but I joined a band, played several card games, played soccer for a few years, read a lot of books, and through I’ve made a lot of friends through these events,” u/Theme_Training said. “At some point, she’ll also notice that everyone is weird, even the ‘cool’ kids.”
Reddit users also offered up the comforting knowledge that elementary school can be a particularly tough time for kids socially — I’m sure we all remember our own social mishaps and misjudgments because we weren’t old enough Age to truly understand your own social experience. get it.
“I think around second/third, they kind of go from that little kid thing where they just hang out with their peers who are physically present and don’t think about it, to realizing they have to connect on a deeper level,” u/spowocklez shared road. “Suddenly you realize that people around you are watching and judging you. Things become more cliquey, especially for girls. So some of it is just transition and it’s quite common. There’s a lot of social change that happens from first grade to sixth grade. Shuffle.
Being the “weird kid” is certainly difficult, and no parent wants to see their child struggle socially. While advice on how to get out and make friends was a highlight of the post, many Reddit users also made it clear that being “weird” is exactly what makes your kids great!
“I love these weird kids,” u/GreenDemonClean said. “They are the kids who stand out because they don’t follow the crowd. They’re usually not followers. She may not be a leader today But later in life she will also stand out, and over the next five years, with your guidance, she can confidently embrace her weirdness.
We also love weird kids.
