Some of this discussion is prompting me to consider my daughter's behaviors through lenses that I had not previously considered.
One question occurs to me in light of that.
I don't think that my DD has
ever felt as though she truly fit in with any particular peer group. It hasn't ever seemed to bother her much, however-- she seemed perfectly capable of finding common ground with anyone, and just enjoying those relationships with others for what they
could offer, rather than fretting about what was missing. We as parents have been pretty sanguine about her emotional needs since there didn't seem to be any real problems on that front, in spite of a lack of deeper connections with peers (of any kind).
It seems to me, though, that perhaps in the last few years, it is sinking in more forcefully that she really IS an outsider-- everywhere. As a girl, maybe adolescence is the trigger for that realization suddenly mattering to her where it didn't until now. For girls, the social part of adolescence is
so hard.
Hmm. Thank you so much for suggesting the book. I've reserved it and will read it this week.
