New friends in 7th grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do 7th graders tend to find new friends or stick with the same from 6th? I realize that's hard to generalize but DD is worried she won't make new friends next year-- two of her good buddies are moving (overseas) and another longtime friend just isn't her cup of tea anymore. I keep telling her she'll make new friends next year based on who is in her classes/doing the same activites...but is that really true? Thankfully she has great friends outside of school.

Making friends is a skill, and it’s best to learn how to do it well as early as you can. I’d tell DD that she’s lucky that she now has the opportunity to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my kids have very different friend groups than they had in 6th grade

This is true but it happens slowly and not all at once. My younger DD is in 7th now and still struggling to find her people. Her ES friends decided they were too cool for her in MS. It’s been really hard. I’m sure their parents don’t care as long as their kid is popular.

Or, the ES friends gained more mature interests and they didn’t have as much in common with your DD anymore?

Starting in middle school, kids are no longer as obligated to be friends due to proximity and parent friendship. It’s a bummer when your kid can’t make new friends, when these friends are lost, but usually inability to make friends is probably a sign it’s more than just all the other kids being mean or only wanting popularity

Even with different interests they still can't be friends with someone they've known for years? And I don't think kids in proximity for through patents can't be great or true friends. And anyway how "mature" are we going to let ES and MS kids get? They should be kids.

The other PP is confusing “mature” with “socially precocious.”

Socially precocious kids are usually, though not always, immature.

[Anonymous]

My high schooler had a totally new friend group by the end of 7th grade. He was still individually friends with his elementary school/neighborhood friends (still is), but they all found different friend groups by 7th/8th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anything can happen in middle school. Most kids keep some old friends but also add new. But anything betwixt and between can happen.

[Anonymous]

Depends on your school size and how classes will be arranged. Proximity = opportunity for relationships

The other thing is personality. Of all the friends - you never know when drama will hit! LOL That will change everything.

Short story - who really knows. I don't think it's that different between 6th/7th grade but we have private school so smaller and while new kids come/go annually, you never really know how friendships will turn out this age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid has made a bunch of new friends this year (and kept her old friends mostly). She's in a large school, so she has her core classes with different kids than she did in 6th grade so she socializes with them a lot.

What is a “large” school? Kids per grade?

[Anonymous]

I've notice friends go into different directions during middle school. Some earlier than others. It's important they select friends that will not get them into trouble. And it changes again in high school, more often. Again, it's important to stay out of trouble.