Hello, I would love some advice please. My 15yr old daughter has struggled with friendships, since some things happened in primary school with her group of friends. She moved to another school and after 4years of struggling in main stream, she is now being home schooled. She is involved in martial arts but majority of the people are older than her (she gets on well with them). She has been making comments about how she doesn’t have any friends. Are there ways we can get her friendships with people her own age? I’m at a complete loss of what to do. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
If in Canada, Guides of Canada, it’s like scouts, my daughter was involved since she was 4, made lots of friends, was still involved till she was about 18 then was a junior leader for awhile, she loved the experience
How about church? Do you go? Is there a youth group there? If not, maybe find a church with an active youth group and join. Church is usually a safe place. My children were in similar situations and they blossomed in the youth group. Good luck!
I homeschooled my kids for five years. I joined homeschooling groups on Facebook and my kids always had someone their age to hang out with. We did group excursions, had park hangs, picnics, pool days. It was some of the best times of my kid’s lives. Reach out to these groups, but don’t get caught up in the politics of it all (it can get catty and judgey), just be there for the social interaction. Good luck!!
If reaching out to the other things people suggested, I would look inside your circle, meaning any cousins or family friends whom may have a daughter around the same age, I myself find that the majority of people I have in my circle are family related, I do have a few friendships outside of our family that are more family than some of my family my point is sometimes the people that we are closest with actually are right there under our noses
My 14 year old son is same way. He is quiet and I’d a home body… always been involved in sports
Even though she struggled previously, she may actually be an introvert. They’ll function in society, but they’d much rather be alone.
Youth groups, theatre groups, church groups, sports, walking/hiking groups, debating clubs…… many options to socialise outside of school, depending on her interests 🫶🏼 good luck x
Home school groups or co-ops!
Teach her how to be a good friend to others and help her build the confidence to meet people. You should teach her about cutting ties when they aren’t good to her.
I met friends at youth group, Girl Scouts, sports or at the campground !
Join some other extra curricular sport or club…making friends is organic.
Do you go yo church, what about a church youth group?
I dont know if she is crafty, but when i was in high school two of my oldest, best friends met in art therapy and It was great because it got her number around other people that struggle making friend, but you also did therapy through your art so it helped in more ways than one
Can u all join a homeschooling co op ? Or get her involved in theater camp or some interest she has so she can be around kids her age?
Church youth group maybe
Or sports teams if she joins sports?
Summer camp is a good place too
If you have any Boys and Girls Clubs. Girl Scouts. Teen events at your local library.
Look for homeschool groups around your area to connect with other homeschool children. Many co-ops offer enrollment for just social activities also. The library in your city may have a list of homeschool groups as well. Also check with the library for different clubs. I live in a small town but ours has junior book club amd a manga club and even has bey blade tournaments (whatever that is lol)
These are all resources I have used and came across in our homeschool journey.
Try peanut it’s for mum to make friends but you can make friends with other mums with children same age, or you put what your looking for
Join a church with a teen group
How about 4H,girl scouts ,gymnastics,softball what does she like
You can’t she has to be out there
Is she neurotypical or neurodivergent?
Girl Scouts, Girls and Boys Club sports, art , music, dance classes. Talk to leaders and find troops, teams, teachers that are more inclusive and focused on fun vs. hard core competition, and enlist the leaders’ help in integrating your daughter into the group.
Dance classes where students perform together can help foster friendships as you are literally touching and supporting each other. Anything where there’s a team of built-in cohorts vs. individual effort can help.
Places with extroverts that will scoop her up and carry her along are good for introverts. Also, friends who are older or younger can be fine if there’s a connection and the people are decent and trustworthy.
Youth groups affiliated with religious institutions are also good. If you don’t have a religious background try the Unitarian Universalist Church as the congregations usually work hard to be inclusive of different people and generally have a lot of programs.
A running group, a stream clean up group, a food bank cohort, helping at an animal shelter or garden or school and the like gives her an opportunity to meet people while focusing on something besides herself. Plus if she helps out others & finds a purpose she’ll be more interesting and thus more appealing to others. Even jobs at pools, movie theaters, fast food or other places where young people work once she turns 16 can be a source of finding friendships.
Hey I to the homeschooling groups around you. Volunteer somewhere. Join extracurricular.
Physical Culture, Dancing, Gymnastics are great ways to make friendships
Hobbies, hobby stores, sometimes you run into people with similar interests doing things you like.
Any kind of sports she likes or skating maybe swimming or park! Or online groups for her age
So my daughter has friends but in a different city like 30 mins from were I live she doesn’t like the area we are in and she says it white wash meaning all African American are acting like white people now I tell her thats not true. Sometimes people pretend to get were they need to be in life it’s not a good thing but they u will know when your friend comes to you. You have to be open to other people as well. Now for my 10 year old he doesn’t have friends because he has a disability and people doesn’t understand him but since he be going to a regular school it might be different but try getting her involved in different things and see how it turns out
Team sports are always good
Homeschool groups. Church. A hobbie group. Reading group.