17 year old here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was very shy growing up and had a very small number of friends even though I knew many people from playing on sports teams. I didn't "hangout" after school or on weekends with other kids - I always worked. Looking back I think this was my way of hiding that I didn't really have anyone one to hang out with.

When do kids drop the one-on-one playdates and hangout in groups?

When is a good age to drop a kid off at the mall with a few other kids?

Playdates as in organized by moms, maybe 6 or 7. I still hang out with friends one on one occasionally, but I really started hanging in groups at about 11ish?

Depends on the kid. I never really did that, but I'd say 11 or 12 if they have a specific purpose (shopping, movie, etc.) but otherwise if they're just going to hang out, then later is probably better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any tips to survive middle school?

Get involved with a variety of activities, have a solid group of friends but also friends in other "groups" so that way you're not friendless if your friends decide to ditch you, and be yourself! And Instagram and iPhones and snapchat aren't necessarily bad things, but spending too much time on them/letting them consume your life IS.

This probably the best advice ever

[Anonymous]

You go to a private school. Have you always attended a private school, or also public? Our public elementary is very good, but drops off at middle and high school and we're debating if we should go private for middle and high school. Do you think private school is worth it?

[Anonymous]

What college do you want to go to?

[Anonymous]

Tell me about hookah and weed use among teens your age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

I think it really depends on the kid. In general, no, the smart kids are nerds. But at my school, the smart kids are also the ones who are the class president/athlete/club president type, so that lends itself well to not being considered a nerd. Sure, there are some very smart kids who would be considered nerds, but I think that might have more to do with their social skills (or lack of...) than their intelligence. No one is considered a nerd simply because they're smart.

Your second question: Personally, I go to a school with about 120 per grade. There are certainly friend groups and a social hierarchy, but we all coexist together pretty well. And it's all-girls, so there's kind of the "sisterhood" aspect, too. But I'm sure it's different at the bigger schools with 400+ kids per grade.

Hello OP. Mom here. Please be careful about info -- people on this site can be really mean!

[Anonymous]

What do you wish your parents made/encouraged you to do (but you refused to or fought them on - ie piano lessons, french camp)

and

what do you wish your parents LET you do but didn't (wear make-up earlier, go places with just a friend and no parents etc...)