Help Please!
Does anyone have advice or a book to recommend, or anything that could help with my 13yo, Gifted DD to teach her social skills? This has always been an issue but seems to get worse with each school year. Having a very difficult time especially now that school is starting back up in 3 days and the anxiety is already setting in for her (and for me as well!).
She is such an amazing person and she has such a big heart and a great sense of humor, but only allows her family to see this side of her. When she is at school or anywhere else, she is closed off, she says she does not know how to make friends and that all the girls are 'stuck up'. She plays on a tournament softball team, she is in her 3rd year of band, she is in Beta Club, she is in TAG. She does all of these things and I think to myself, how is she getting through all of these activities without making any new friends? Or by remaining closed off?
She is in public school going into the 8th grade, and has been with these same children since the 2nd grade. There is only one girl that has been her main and closest friend who is the complete opposite personality of my dd, which I think is great. She is outgoing, has lots of friends, always laughing, etc. My DD is like this but only when she is around this one friend, or with us, her family. I want the world to see her as the beautiful and intelligent,amazingly caring, fun, funny person..the person that she truly is...Not the person that goes to school with a black cloud over her head, lack of social skills and lack of self confidence. It scares me. My husband and I have built her up since she was a baby and not a day goes by that I/we do not tell her how proud I/we are of her. I do not know where this lack of self esteem comes from. I know it also has to do with age, but she truly does not know HOW to make friends or be comfortable around people. And I think people seem stuck up to her like she says, because she may be coming across the same way to them. I have tried explaining all of this to her and tried talking to her so many times and now it's just getting to where she is defensive about it. I don't want to push her away, but I also do not want the world to push her away.
Being a 13 year old in 8th grade is probably one of the most difficult years growing up as a girl, let alone as a girl who is gifted!
Any type of direction anyone can offer would be so greatly appreciated! This is my first post ever and I hope I did not scare people away with all of my rambling. I am just a very worried momma right now and want to start the school year off on the right foot.
Thank You so very much for your time!
