But in middle school, the kids starting to group into cool kids crowd, nerd crowd, etc... and it could be bad especially for girls (more so when they get into puberty and teenager years). If they don't aleady have hobbies, make sure to keep them busy in those years.
So true. With one girl in high school and the other going into 8th, I've seen some truly ridiculous, selfish and sometimes cruel behavior from good kids who we've known for years. Fortunately, most of them have returned to their senses by the time they hit high school.
I actually think that it might be better for your DD not to be with her best friend so that she will branch out and meet new people. Her best friend may be itching to branch out. She may ditch her. She may find a boyfriend and not want your kid hanging around. You don't want to have your kid's social well being dependent on one other fickle middle school aged girl. In middle school, it is wise to cultivate multiple places to land.
