Dear Ms. Starr,
My 12 year daughter who just started 6th grade comes home everyday and says that no one at school likes her, everyone hates her, and that they don’t include her. As her mom, I have talked to her teacher about this matter, and her teacher tells me that everything is fine! She says that my daughter IS included but that she chooses to sit by herself and not talk to anyone. It sounds like she is not putting herself out there, and then I hear how “horrible” life is and how everyone is mean. What do I do?
Clueless!
Dear Clueless!,
At one point or another, and whether or not we choose to admit it, we have all played games in our relationships. Perhaps we have sat down at an empty table to see if someone would join us. Maybe we’ve held off calling or texting someone to see if they would contact us first. Or possibly we’ve chosen to hang back from the group to see if we would be noticed and included.