Your kid makes a friend.
You meet the friends parent.
You like that parent, a lot.
You start scheduling playdates, mostly for the kids but also for you.
But then the kids get older and they just sort of … drift apart.
One kid gets more into sports while the other is into art.
Theyve each made new friends and those get-togethers are becoming less frequent and more awkward.
After all, how many of your second-grade besties are still prominent fixtures in your life?
Usually, though, its nobodys fault.)
You and your friend have to acknowledge with each other whats happening with your kids friendship.
Everything was fantastic, and then the inevitable happened: fifth grade.
Cliques formed, boys entered the picture, and the drama began.
Our girls seemed to be going in opposite directions.
They had different interests and were no longer bonded by their love of puppies and pink bedrooms.
Optimistically, we still tried to get the girls together, but it was forced and awkward.
Neither girl wanted to be there, and the tension between them was obvious.
My daughter became resentful toward me for putting pressure on her to stay friends with her old BFF.
My friend and I didnt acknowledge what was happening but instead pretended like everything was normal.
In hindsight, we should have talked about it.
A strong friendship could have survived the murky waters of middle school drama.
But we didnt, and eventually the get-togethers stopped.
Not just the ones with our daughters, but
all
of the get-togethers.
Make your own plans
Okay, so it wont be quite the same now.
Its not going to be full-on weekend getaways and lazy family afternoons at the lake.
But nothing in parenting stays the same forever, and youre used to adjusting.
And while youre there, dont be afraid to talk about your kids and ask about theirs.
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