Mom worried about her 'weird daughter' receives heartwarming support from the internet

Not everyone is skilled enough to make friends out of strangers. Even though people believe that it is easier to form meaningful friendships as a kid compared to being an adult, some kids still feel left out. These kids might feel like they don't belong with their peers and something might be wrong with them. u/katren08 turned to the Reddit community to seek some parenting advice from fellow moms for her young daughter who is facing some issues at school.

She started her post by announcing that she would be needing some "mom advice." "My mom has passed and I don’t have any mom friends at the same stage I’m at. My daughter is starting third grade and she told me the other day she was nervous about starting school because she’s the weird kid," the post mentioned. The mom explained that her daughter doesn't have any friends and she has no clue why no one likes her either. "She said the other kids tell her they don’t want to play with her. It breaks my mama heart and I don’t know what to do," the mom expressed her worries.

She had tried telling her daughter that she should always be herself and ask the other kids to be her friend but that seemingly did not work. "I am socially awkward and have anxiety with new people, as does my husband, so we’re not the best role models for making friends. I don’t know if there’s anything I can or should do but any suggestions or advice would be appreciated," she concluded her post. The parents on the Reddit community jumped in to help the mom with some quality advice about what she needed to do in this peculiar situation.

u/Lyndsey52020 shared, "Hi! Mom with no friends with and a lonely little boy with no friends here! Just wanted to say my heart hurts with you. Are there any hobbies she likes? What about clubs or after-school programs where she would be able to meet others she might click with? Also, double down on doing things with her. We can’t control school situations, but we can make them feel safe, wanted, and secure at home. You, too, can be a best friend." u/BamaMom297 questioned, "Weird as in shy or marches to the beat of her own drum? Or weird as in eats gum off the ground weird? We need more context here for what you mean as weird." 

u/TooOldForYourShit32 suggested, "Talk to her teacher and school counselor. They can help brainstorm ideas. The 4th-grade girls last year had a lot of bullying issues. For two months my kid came home either angry or crying. I talked to the teacher, the principal, and the counselor multiple times. Finally, the Spanish teacher came up with a ladies' empowerment group for young Queens. Every girl in 4th grade had to have lunch twice a week with the Spanish teacher and run through exercises and games meant for team building. But mainly focused on how different they all were and celebrating it. After a month my kid was friends with the biggest bully of her grade and even got a Christmas gift from her. I still don't like the little girl but it made me happy my kid learned to take a stand and be confident in herself."

u/spowocklez added, "I went through similar with my oldest and ended up buying some books on Amazon for her to read about how to start and maintain conversations, etc. One of them was - How to Make Friends and Get Along. She still uses those skills for making friends in new environments at nearly 13. I think around 2nd/3rd they kinda go from the little kid thing where they just play with peers who are physically present and don't think about it, to being conscious of having to relate on a deeper level. Suddenly you're aware of being observed and judged by people around you. I would try to find clubs or after-school stuff to develop her interests and connect with kids who are into the same stuff. Even just figuring out what she likes will help her connect with other kids at school."