Why oh why do girls have to be so difficult? For once, I am not talking about my own. While getting ready for bed tonight M came to me and was talking about two of her friends that are pairing up and sitting with each other and not with her.  The seating chart is two boys and two girls per table and she is feeling left out. Now this isn’t the first time (and I am sure it won’t be the last) that we’ve had to talk through these issues. Why are girls so thoughtless of how they hurt each other? 

This is such a difficult age to navigate, girls just get worse from here.  My boring advice as a parent, find another friend. Hang out with someone who wants to hang out with you.  Sometimes the more you try to hang out with someone, the less they want to hang out with you.  We’ve tried telling her that she shouldn’t allow others to dictate how she feels, but she is a delicate flower like her mother. I know how much it sucks to feel left out, it hurts as much at 30 as it does at 13.

I know this is really only something she can work through herself, and I’m hoping by doing so she learns what is and isn’t acceptable behavior from a friend.  It’s hard because as her mama I want to tell her ‘stop talking to those little brats!’ but it just comes with the territory of having a tween girl.